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ITALIA- ESPANA

EX-LIBRIS
M. A. BUCHANAN

PRESENTED TO

THE LIBRARY

BY

PROFESSOR MILTON A. BUCHANAN

OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF ITALIAN AND SPANISH

1906-1946

STORIES

o»

SPANISH LIFE,

VOL. I.

STORIES

OF

SPANISH LIFE,

FROM THE GERMAN OF IIUBER.

EDITED BY LIEUT. -COL. CRAUFURD,

OF THE GRENADIER GUARDS.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

L O N DO N :
HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1837. <V

LONDON :
PRINTED BY STEWART AND CO.

nil) B-.ll.Fl.

TO

LORD ELIOT,

THIS TRANSLATION OF

RUBER'S SKIZZEN AUS SPANIEN.

IS DEDICATED BY

THE TRANSLATOR.

PREFACE.

Selections from Huber's Skizzen aus Spamen,
appeared in the Athenaeum in the winter of
1835, and were remarked by some persons well
acquainted with the Peninsula, as affording,
even in the imperfect form of Extracts, so lively
and faithful a picture of the manners and cus-
toms of the people, that they were anxious to
possess an English version of the entire work.

The translator's attention was in this way
invited to the perusal of Huber's work, and,
completely satisfied of the accuracy of the
delineations of life in Spain, from their perfect

vil) PREFACE.

reement with the impressions and recollec-
tions which two visits to that country have left
on his own mind, he was induced to undertake
the task of giving it to the English public.

Huber was, undoubtedly, thoroughly ac-
quainted with Spain, particularly with the
South. He has observed, with great accuracy,
the interesting localities of the country, and
must have associated familiarly with the dif-
ferent classes, to have described their character,
feelings, and manners, with so much spirit and
fidelity.

A short Historical Introduction, containing
the events from 1820 to 1823, has been added,
to enable the reader to connect the scenes in
the following pages with the history of that
period.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

BY THE EDITOR.

The scenes delineated in the following sketches
are, for the most part, founded on historical
facts, drawn from that unsettled period of
modern Spanish history, which is included be-
tween the proclamation of the Constitution of
1812, by Riego, in the year 1820, and the final
occupation of Spain by the French army under
the Duke d'Ajigouleme in 1823. It will there-
fore, it is hoped, not be deemed unprofitable to
present the reader, before he commences the
perusal of the sketches themselves, with a brief
preparatory narrative of the events which oc-
curred between the two epochs referred to, in
order to recall to his memory the exact position
of affairs in Spain, at that period, and thus to

VOL. I. b

2 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

enable him, by having the course of events fresh
in his recollection, to perceive the relation of
the sketches to each other, and to fill up in his
mind the intervals which may be supposed to
occur between them.

Since the restoration of Ferdinand to the
throne of Spain in 1814, all the endeavours of
that monarch had been directed to the recovery
of that absolute authority, which the kings of
Spain had exercised from the time of Charles V.
In his eager prosecution of this object, Fer-
dinand had shown much cruelty and ingratitude
towards those persons, who, aided by the liberal
institutions formed for the occasion, had suc-
ceeded in delaying the progress of the French
armies, and had preserved the independence of
the country, till the assistance of Great Britain,
in conjunction with their own exertions, en-
abled the Spaniards to expel the French from
their soil, and replace their rightful sovereign
on the throne.

Great and general discontent had been ex-
cited by this conduct on the part of Ferdinand,
and the desire for a more liberal system of

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 3

government, had rather been strengthened than
suppressed by the severities which were exer-
cised towards its advocates. Many of the
principal officers of the army were dissatisfied,
and their feelings had communicated themselves
to all classes of that body. The unpopular ex-
pedition to South America, for which the troops
were collected in the neighbourhood of Cadiz,
in the year 1819, had brought those feelings to
a climax; and the insurrection of the troops in
the month of June of that year, which was only
suppressed by the influence and energy of Count
Abisbal, sufficiently showed that the elements
of disorganization were widely diffused, and
might at any moment prove uncontrollable.

The insurrection of June, 1819, having been
suppressed, the government proceeded with
renewed eagerness, to complete the necessary
preparations for the expedition to South America ;
and 16,000 troops were assembled for the pur-
pose of embarkation, in the Isla de Leon and
its vicinity. But the expedition was not less
unpopular with the army now than it had been
in the preceding year. There was no prospect

b2

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

of any counterbalancing advantage, to reconcile
either oflin-rs or men to an enterprise, the scene
of which was so distant, and the chance of
honour and success so small; and the repug-
nance with which the troops looked forward to
service, in a remote country, under an unfavoura-
ble climate, was changed into indignation against
the government, when they found that it had
not even provided secure vessels for transport-
ing them to the scene where their arduous exer-
tions were to commence. Even the troops which
had been prevailed upon, by the arguments of
Count Abisbal, to act against their comrades,
for the purpose of putting down the insurrec-
tion of 1819, had only consented to do so, upon
receiving a promise that they should be ex-
empted from the obnoxious service. Moreover,
the Government felt so little confidence in
Abisbal himself, that he was shortly afterwards
removed from the station in which he had
rendered such important services.

Under these circumstances, and with such
sentiments prevailing in the army of the Tsla,
and probably shared by many other corps, as

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. O

well as by the majority of citizens in the great
towns, it is not surprising that the occasion
should have appeared, to the leaders of the con-
stitutional party, peculiarly favourable to an
attempt to subvert the existing order of Govern-
ment. If this opportunity should be allowed to
escape, so promising a combination of circum-
stances might never again present itself. The
dislike of the troops to the service they were
about to be engaged in, and their indignation at
finding that the vessels which had been pre-
pared were unfit for the sea, might easily be
converted into settled disaffection to the Govern-
ment, and into a desire to abolish a system,
under which the lives of the soldiers were thus
wantonly exposed, in ill-concocted and hopeless
enterprises. The constitutional leaders deter-
mined to profit to the utmost, and as speedily
as possible, by the advantageous opening thus
presented to them, of introducing a more liberal
form of Government; and the officers of the
army being chiefly Liberals, and united as
members of the society of Freemasons, little
difficulty was found in organizing a conspiracy

I] HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

for the purpose of gaining over the army, and
proclaiming under its sanction the constitution
promulgated by the Cortes at Cadiz in 1812.

The persons fixed upon as the leaders of this
enterprise, were Colonel Riego, an officer com-
manding a battalion of the regiment of the
Asturias, and Lieut.-Col. Quiroga, who had
been implicated in the insurrection of the pre-
ceding year, and was at this time a prisoner in
a neighbouring convent. It was agreed, that
on the 1st January, Quiroga should effect his
escape from the convent where he was con-
fined, and after joining two battalions which
were quartered at Alcala, de los Gazules, should
proceed with these towards Cadiz, and en-
deavour to surprise the town. On the same
day Riego, with his battalion, was to proclaim
the Constitution at Las Cabezas, and instantly
to march to Los Arcos, for the purpose of en-
deavouring to gain possession of the person of
the Commander-in-Chief, the Count de Cal-
deron, and such other officers as were supposed
to be unfavourable to the designs of the con-
spirators.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 7

This plan was successfully executed in part
only : — for though Quiroga effected his escape,
and joined the troops at Alcala, yet he was so
delayed by various unexpected obstacles in his
march towards Cadiz, that the garrison gained
intelligence of his design, and instantly occu-
pied the strong work of the Cortadura, which
defends the approach to the city.

Riego, on his part, having proclaimed the
Constitution at day-break, on the 1st of January,
proceeded without delay to Los Arcos, where
he succeeded in his design of arresting the
Count de Calderon and his staff, whom he
compelled to swear to the Constitution. He then
proceeded to join Quiroga, whose progress to
Cadiz had been interrupted by the measures
which had been adopted by the garrison. The
execution of the plan formed by the military
leaders, for establishing the Constitution in
Cadiz and its neighbourhood, was much im-
peded by the defence of the Cortadura. The
great object of speedily gaining possession of
some important town, had thus been frustrated;
two attacks made by Quiroga's troops had been

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

repulsed by the garrison ; and an attempt, by
the adherents of the Constitution within the
town, to gain possession of the work, had met
with no better success. The energy and en-
thusiasm of the revolted troops, — by which
alone the country could be carried along with
them, and the constitution rapidly spread, —
were dying away, under the influence of a pro-
tracted and unsuccessful enterprise, and it be-
came necessary to take more active measures,
with a view to raising the spirit of the troops.
These it was hoped might tend also to give
courage to the friends of the Constitution in the
great towns, and afford them a favourable
opportunity of declaring their adherence to it.
To promote these objects, Riego was detached
from the corps before Cadiz, with a body of
1500 men. He was to endeavour to raise the
towns of Andalusia in favour of the liberal
cause ; and on leaving the Isla he first directed
Ins march towards Algeziras. He was received
with acclamations by the inhabitants of that
town; but finding no prospect of obtaining
solid assistance, he soon left it, and pursued his

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 9

march to Malaga. Soon after his arrival there,
he was attacked by Don Joseph O'Donnell,
the brother of Abisbal, who had been detached
after him with a strong body of troops. After
a sharp action Riego succeeded in repulsing
O'Donnell's attack ; but meeting with no sup-
port in the town, he abandoned it, and took
the direction of the mountains to the northward.
He was closely pursued on his march, and
finding his force reduced to 300, and, therefore
too weak to act with effect as a military body,
he disbanded them, in order that each individual
might provide for his own safety.

Thus far, after the first temporary success,
the liberal cause had made but little progress.
Quiroga, surrounded by the troops of Don
Manuel Freyre, who had marched against him
from Seville, saw his numbers diminish daily, by
desertion, and by privations of every kind.
His attempts upon Cadiz had proved unsuccess-
ful, and it was doubtful whether he would be
able to save himself, and his men, from being
made prisoners. But events now took place in
other quarters, which speedily changed the as-

b 5

10 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

pect of affairs in Andalusia, as well as in that
part of Spain in which they occurred.

We have seen that Count Abisbal, who had
taken so active a part in the suppression of the
insurrection of 1819, had been removed from
his command shortly afterwards, in conse-
quence of the distrust felt towards him by the
government. He now determined, from motives
which are unexplained, to lend his powerful
assistance to the constitutional cause ; and at
the very time that his brother was engaged in
the pursuit of Riego, he took the resolution of
declaring his adherence to the liberal party. With
this view he left Madrid on the 3d of March,
and proceeded to Ocana, where, supported by
the regiment of his brother, he arrested the
governor, and proclaimed the Constitution.

Ferdinand now found himself deserted by his
best officers, and given up without support to
the violence of the populace, which had assem-
bled near the palace in a state of great excite-
ment, and demanded the Constitution in the
most imperative manner. He perceived that
it was impossible, abandoned as he appeared

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 11

to be by the army, to offer any opposition to the
demand of the Constitutionalists, and he at
length declared his intention of complying
with the wishes of his people. He accordingly
shortly afterwards declared his adhesion to the
Constitution proclaimed by the Cortes at Cadiz
in 1812.

The Revolution was now speedily completed
throughout Spain. General Freyre proclaimed
the Constitution at Cadiz; and although consider-
able dissatisfaction was shown by many corps, at
the establishment of the new order of things, yet
by judiciously strengthening the army which had
proclaimed the Constitution, the discontented
portion of the troops was kept in order, and all
opposition was rendered impossible : so that, in
the month of July, the constitutional system ap-
peared to be established in all parts of the kingdom .

A ministry was formed soon afterwards,
composed of persons who were known to hold
liberal though moderate opinions. Perez de
Castro, the two Arguelles, and the Marquis
de los Amarillas, were the leading members of
this administration. The Cortes also were

12 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

assembled, for the purpose of enacting such laws
as should be considered suitable to the new
system of government. Their measures were
directed chiefly to the reform of the Church
and the suppression of many of the monasteries;
the abolition of entails ; and the application of
the funds arising from the sale of church pro-
perty to the liquidation of the national debt.
All the finances of the state were to undergo a
minute examination ; and the public expendi-
ture was to be reduced as low as should be
found possible, consistently with the efficiency
of the different branches of the administration.
The violence of the liberal party, however, was
constantly on the increase in Madrid, and
several clubs were formed, in which the greatest
extravagance of language prevailed; and the
passions of the people being thus inflamed, they
were excited to numerous acts of riot and in-
subordination. Of these clubs Riego became
the idol. When the Cortes had been elected,
he had succeeded Quiroga, who was chosen a
deputy, in the command of the army of the
Isla; but the government, dreading his in-

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 13

fluence and character, removed him from that
command, and appointed him at the same time
Captain-general of Gallicia. Riego, however,
being unwilling to renounce the influence which
he exercised in Madrid, refused to repair to his
government, and proceeded to the capital,
where he endeavoured to overawe the govern-
ment by means of the clubs. The ministry
however, pursued with much firmness their de-
termination of removing him; and he was at
length sent into banishment at Oviedo, his na-
tive place.

Early in the year 1821, in consequence of the
complaints which the king had made at the
opening of the Cortes, that sufficient energy
was not shown by the executive, in repressing
the insults which, he affirmed, were offered to
him upon all public occasions, the members
of the first liberal ministry gave in their resig-
nations. A second ministry was then appointed,
which was supposed to be inclined to support
and strengthen the royal authority; and M.
Eusebio Bardaxi y Azaro, at that time ambassa-
dor in France, was placed at its head. But the

14 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

people, as well as great part of the Cortes, ap-
pear to have been so violently opposed to this
government, that it never acquired sufficient
strength to make its authority respected at a
distance from the capital. At different periods
during its possession of office, anarchy prevailed
in many of the great towns. Seville and Cadiz in
particular refused to receive the governors ap-
pointed by the ministry ; and it was only when
that ministry was dismissed in 1 822, that they
consented as;ain to submit themselves to control.

The disordered state of the country was in-
creased by the appearance of several bands of
partizans, in arms for the royal cause, in the
northern provinces. That of the Cure Merino,
which infested old Castile and Navarre, was
the most considerable of these Guerillas.

During this period, Riego, who had been,
after his banishment, appointed Captain-general
of Arragon, was suspected of fomenting a plot
which was declared to pervade a great part of
Spain, for the establishment of a republic. No
proof of his participation in such a design was
ever produced ; but it is certain that his name

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 15

was made use of as a rallying cry, upon all
occasions of riot and violence ; and that his
picture, borne about at the head of numerous
processions, served as a standard for the dis-
affected. The ministry therefore judged it ex-
pedient to remove him from his command ;
and they effected this purpose successfully,
through the firmness displayed by the political
chief in Arragon (Moreno), in executing the
orders of the government. This removal, how-
ever, was made a pretext for riot and tumul-
tuous meetings. Representations against it
were sent to Madrid, from many of the great
towns, some of which documents were couched
in the most disrespectful terms. The govern-
ment, notwithstanding, remained firm to their
purpose, and Riego, after some resistance, was
superseded in his command.

Towards the end of the year 1821, — which
had been, in its whole duration, most calamitous
to Spain, — a pestilence broke out, which af-
fected many parts of the country, but more
particularly the eastern coast. Its utmost viru-
lence was displayed at Barcelona, where the

16 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

deaths amounted to 350 daily, and the total
number of inhabitants who perished by its in-
fluence;, is computed to have exceeded 20,000.
The violence with which this disorder raged,
and its nature, which was declared to be con-
tagious, furnished a pretext to the French, for
the establishment of their cordon sanitaire upon

the frontier.

Affairs continued in a state of disorder, bor-
dering upon anarchy, till the beginning of the
year 1822. The ministry of M. Bardaxi y
Azaro, which had given such dissatisfaction to
the liberal party, was then dismissed, and
Martinez de la Rosa and his colleagues, who
were supposed to hold opinions more in har-
mony with the prevailing popular feelings, suc-
ceeded to the administration. Great rejoicings
took place in the principal towns upon this
occasion. Seville and Cadiz, which had re-
fused to submit to the authority of the func-
tionaries appointed by the late government,
now opened their gates to those of the new ;
and Jauregui the commander of the troops in
Cadiz, gave up the town to the proper magis-

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 17

trates. The government, however, did not feel
itself sufficiently strong to call him to an ac-
count for his previous conduct, and his submis-
sion was accepted without any inquiry being
instituted into the insubordination which had
been exhibited.

Riego also was not inactive upon this occa-
sion. Holding no office, and being without
any appointment or authority whatever, he re-
paired to Barcelona, and there, having assem-
bled the troops, he harangued them in the most
bombastic and violent language, rejoicing with
them upon the dismissal of the late ministers,
and declaring that, with their departure from
office, tyranny had fled from Spain, and would
never again re-appear upon its soil.

On the first of March, 1822, the new ordinary
Cortes was assembled, and the deputies soon
showed, by electing Riego as their president,
that the new ministry (the members of which,
though men of decided constitutional opinions,
had belonged to the moderate party in the late
Cortes) was not likely to be more acceptable to
them than the preceding government had been.

18 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

The king, on opening this Cortes, declared that
the relations of Spain towards foreign powers
were upon the most satisfactory footing, and
that the reports which had been spread abroad
concerning the intentions of France, were only
disseminated by the ill-affected, for the purpose
of creating alarm and distrust in the country.
This Cortes proceeded to the examination of
all parts of the administration, and endeavoured,
by a system of the greatest economy, to bring
the finances of the country into a more healthy
state. In the mean time many of the great
towns again became the scenes of serious
tumults. At Pampeluna, at Lorea, and at
Valencia, where the royalist General, Elio, had
been kept for some time in imprisonment,
these disturbances assumed the most serious
appearance. The regular troops found them-
selves drawn out against the militia and the
populace upon many occasions, and consider-
able bloodshed repeatedly took place before
tranquillity could be restored.

These disorders became the subject of serious
consideration in the Cortes, and an address

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 19

was framed and presented to the king, de-
nouncing the ministry, for their neglect in not
taking proper measures for suppressing them ;
and also accusing the French of fomenting dis-
sensions, and encouraging the discontented.

On the 30th of June, the king prorogued the
Cortes; and this ceremony became the occa-
sion of events of such importance, that it is ne-
cessary to relate them in some detail. They
form an epoch in the history and progress of
the Spanish revolution, and it is about the time
of their occurrence, that the scene at the Venta
de Cardenas, described in the first sketch of
this series, is supposed to take place. Several
other circumstances described or alluded to in
the sketches, are connected with the revolt of
the royal guards at Madrid. The king then,
as we have stated, proceeded to the hall of the
Cortes, on the 30th of June, for the purpose of
proroguing that assembly. A great concourse of
people surrounded his carriage, and attended
him from the palace, uttering cries in favour of
liberty and the constitution, which were re-
sponded to by the soldiers with shouts for the

20 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

absolute king. Having addressed the Cortes,
and complimented them on the improved state
of the finances, and the strict economy which
had distinguished the year, the king prorogued
the Cortes and prepared to return to his palace.
The crowd in the mean time had increased
considerably, and cries for the constitutional
king were raised more vehemently than before;
and were continued after the king had entered
his residence. At length a body of the guard,
irritated by this proceeding, which they consi-
dered insulting to Ferdinand, sallied out, and
attacked the multitude which was in front of
the palace. Their officers immediately inter-
fered, and used every endeavour to restrain
them ; but their violence was not to be checked,
and an officer named Casasola was thrown
down and much injured, while endeavouring to
restore order. Before, however, this could be
effected, Don Mamerto Landaburu, a lieu-
tenant of the guard, who was supposed to hold
liberal opinions, was shot by the soldiers of his
own company. The exertions of the Captain
General, Morillo, and of the political chief,

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 21

were at length successful in restoring tran-
quillity ; but the minds both of the citizens and
the soldiers continued in a high state of excite-
ment, and it was easy to perceive that there
was still reason to dread the explosion of these
feelings on both sides.

An order was immediately issued for the ap-
prehension of the assassins of Landaburu; and
measures were also taken to appease the minds
of the citizens. It was evident, however, that
great .agitation still prevailed ; and this excite-
ment was increased by the invectives which
were daily lavished on their opponents, by the
journals of both parties. At length, all these
causes so worked upon the feelings of the
soldiers of the guard, that on the night of the
2d of July, four battalions, amounting to about
2000 men, having concerted their meeting from
separate quarters, joined each other on the
parade ground of the guards, and from thence
proceeded to the Prado, from which place they
sent a demand for rations, and commissioners to
treat of the terms upon which they should sur-
render. These negotiations, which had no

22 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

result, occupied the 3d of July. On the 4th
the revolted troops remained stationary at the
Prado ; the only noticeable circumstance which
occurred being a reconnaissance made to ascer-
tain the disposition of the insurgents, by a de-
tachment of the regiment of Almanza, which
was speedily repulsed.

On the 7th of July the insurgents commenced
operations which they appear to have maturely
planned during the preceding days. Their
assault upon the town was to be made in three
divisions, one of which was to attack the park
of artillery ; the second, the place of the Consti-
tution, where the National Guard had their
bivouacs ; and the third was to try and gain
possession of the Puerta del Sol, and the streets
which lead into it. Of these three divisions,
that only which marched upon the Puerta del Sol
obtained any success ; and its advantage was of
short duration: for soon after having gained
possession of the place which was the object of
its attack, it was in its turn assailed by General
Ballasteros, with a strong body of infantry and
some artillery, and was speedily compelled to

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 23

quit its post in disorder, and with considerable
loss. The scattered insurgents of this division
fled in the direction of the palace, and in its
precincts they found a temporary refuge. An
address was now framed and presented to the
King by a junta of the Cortes, requesting him
to prevent the possibility of such disorders again
arising, by disbanding his guards, and placing
his person under the protection of the national
militia. After some opposition to this measure
on the part of Ferdinand, his repugnance was
at length overcome, and it was agreed, that the
four battalions of the guard which had been
implicated in the late revolt should deliver up
their arms, and be disbanded, and that the two
battalions which had remained neutral should
retain their arms, but should be distributed into
other corps, and leave Madrid.

While these measures were under discussion,
the four battalions of guards suddenly sallied
forth from their quarters, and passing over the
bridge of Segovia, left Madrid, and took the
road to the Escurial. They were immediately
pursued by a body of cavalry; several charges

24 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

were made upon them ; and a considerable
number of the insurgents were slain. Not far
from Madrid they divided into three separate
bodies, the largest of which took refuge in the
Casa del Campo, where they were attacked and
summoned to surrender, on the promise that
their lives should be spared. Considering that
resistance would be unavailing, they delivered
up their arms, and were marched back prisoners
to Madrid. The other two bodies were also
routed and compelled to surrender.

About the time at which these proceedings
were taking place in Madrid, a similar event
occurred in Andalusia. The regiment of royal
carbineers which was quartered at Castro del
Rio, in the province of Cordova, revolted, and
having left the town, proceeded, together with
many people of the country who wrere persuaded
to join them, towards Madrid ; where they hoped
to be able to co-operate with the guards, of
whose insurrection they had received intelli-
gence. Their plans, like those of the guards,
were finally frustrated, and the carbineers were
compelled to surrender to a small force which

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 25

had been sent out to intercept their march.
This is the revolt which is described in the
sketches, as taking place in the town of Cor-
dova.

Shortly after these events a plot was dis-
covered at Cadiz, which had been formed by
the ultra-liberal party, for the purpose of com-
pletely revolutionizing that town. The con-
spirators had determined, in case the rebellion
of the guards should have led to national con-
fusion, that, instead of assisting the municipality
in carrying into effect the measures which had
been resolved upon for the preservation of order,
they would take advantage of the excitement
to depose the authorities, to revenge themselves
on their political enemies, and to seize upon the
public employments of the city. The authori-
ties, however, having gained information of this
design, took the needful precautions to prevent
its being successful ; and the ten principal con-
spirators, most of whom were distinguished by
the violence of their opinions and conduct, were
arrested in the night, without any disturbance
taking place.

vol. i. c

26 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

The municipality of Madrid now presented
an address to the King, referring to the late
commotions in the capital. The tendency of
the address was, to throw the blame of the late
disorders upon the ministry of Martinez de la
Rosa, and to obtain the appointment of a
government whose members should hold more
liberal opinions ; and they succeeded in effect-
ing this object. Don Evaristo San Miguel, a
Lieut.-Col. and Chief of the Staff in the army of
the Isla, was appointed Minister for Foreign
Affairs; M. Gasco, Minister of the Interior;
Vadillo, for the Colonies; Lopez Bafios, for
War; Navarro, for Grace and Justice; Capaz,
Minister of Marine, and Eguia of Finance. The
Royal Household was also new modelled, and
all who were suspected of not being decided
constitutionalists were removed from their situa-
tions near the person of the King. Morillo, in
spite of his exertions in repelling the late attack
of the guards upon the capital, was deprived of
his command, and many persons of high rank
were imprisoned, or banished from the capital.
But one of the most remarkable acts of the

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 27

new ministry, was the order issued by them for
the immediate trial of the celebrated General,
Elio. He had been tried in the year 1821, for
his conduct on the return of Ferdinand to Spain
in 1814; but as on that occasion he had only
acted in obedience to the orders of his govern-
ment, no punishment could justly be inflicted
upon him; and it appeared that it was only
in order to appease the existing popular
excitement, that the form of a trial had been
gone through. He was now again brought be-
fore a tribunal of officers, which was assembled
with some difficulty, and he was accused of
having been accessary to a plot which had ex-
ploded in the preceding May, and which con-
sisted in an attempt, on the part of some
soldiers of artillery, to seize upon the citadel of
Valencia. In carrying this plan into effect, the
name of Elio had been used by them; and
though it was difficult to conceive that a per-
son in close imprisonment could have found
opportunities of forming a plan of the kind attri-
buted to him, yet he was found guilty, and was
condemned to death. His sentence was carried

c2

28 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

into execution on the 4th September, and he
died with the same firmness and courage which
had distinguished him through life.

During the end of this year the northern
provinces became the theatre of a civil war,
which appeared to threaten the liberal cause
with greater dangers than any which had
hitherto assailed it. The__partizans of absolu-
tism were gaining strength from day to day, in
the countries north of the Ebro. Bands of
armed men were formed, which, though in the
commencement they resembled banditti, gra-
dually assumed the character of organized
troops. They then took the appellation of the
army of the faith, and being supplied with
treasure and arms by the Spanish refugees who
had retired to Bayonne, they became most
formidable to the Constitutionalist forces. Fre-
quent actions took place between the two
parties, with various success ; and the insurgents
having obtained possession of some of the im-
portant fortified points in the country, were
enabled to establish themselves with some
solidity. The taking of Seo de Urgel, most

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 29

materially contributed to these results, as did
also the capture of Mequinenza.

To give the appearance of a regular organiza-
tion to their party, the absolutists established a
regency, consisting of three persons, at Seo de
Urgel. The Marquis of Mata-florida, the
Bishop of Tarragona, and the Baron d'Eroles,
were fixed upon to exercise the functions of
Regents, and were installed in their office with
much solemnity. After receiving deputations
from the provincial juntas and the municipali-
ties, they proceeded to issue proclamations,
abolishing the Cortes, and they declared that
every thing which had taken place since the
king swore to the Constitution, in March, 1820,
ought to be considered illegal. ..They! pro-
claimed the restoration of the system, both civil
and military, which existed previous to that
date, and caused it to be understood, that should
the country refuse obedience to their dictates,
they could reckon upon the assistance of foreign
troops for the purpose of enforcing it.

The Government, in the mean time, took the
most energetic steps to crush this insurrection,

30 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

and to root out the disturbers of the public
tranquillity. For this purpose they despatched
several of their best generals into Arragon,
Navarre, and Catalonia. Mina, who com-
manded in the latter province, was more par-
ticularly successful in the execution of his trust;
he reduced almost all the towns held by the
Royalist party, and at length compelled the
Regency to take refuge in France. He at-
tacked also their strong hold Seo de Urgel; but
owing to the inaccessible nature of the place,
he was repulsed with loss by the garrison. By
dint, however, of his vigorous operations, and
the severity which he displayed against those
towns which sheltered the Royalists, he re-
duced Catalonia to obedience to the Constitu-
tional Government. Torrijos was successful in
a minor degree against Quesada and O'DonnelJ,
who commanded the armies of the Faith in
Navarre.

But it was not alone the provinces in the
north of Spain, which were the seat of disorder ;
the whole country was over-run by Guerillas
and partisans. The Government, however, made

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 31

the greatest exertions to restore tranquillity,
and with considerable success; but to give full
effect to their endeavours, it was necessary that
greater supplies both of men and arms, than
they were yet masters of, should be put at
their disposal. For this purpose the Extraor-
dinary Cortes was assembled in the month of
October of this year, and they proceeded in-
stantly to consider the state of the army, and
to take measures for augmenting it, and for
calling into activity the national militia. It
was found by the statement of the Minister
of War, that the army had fallen below its
nominal force of 62,000 men, by the sixth of
that number, and he proposed to restore it to
its full complement, and to increase the esta-
blishment by about 38,000 men. All these
measures, which were ostensibly suggested by
the state of the northern provinces, had also
some reference to France, the feelings of whose
Government were thought to be most hostile to
the existing order of things in Spain; and war
was talked of, both in the clubs and at public
meetings, as an event almost inevitable.

32 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

It is certain that there were many reasons to
justify this belief. The bands of the disaffected,
when dispersed and routed by the government
troops, crossed the French frontier, and were
always well received by the authorities. The
supplies also, which the Army of the Faith re-
ceived from that quarter, exceeded so mate-
rially what could have been furnished by the
resources of the royalist adherents, who had
taken refuge in France, that it was natural to
attribute them to the partiality of the French
Government to that party. The Cordon Sani-
taire was still maintained, though the fever,
which had served as a pretence for establishing
it, had long ceased to rage ; while great stores
of ammunition and provisions were collecting in
the different frontier garrisons, and the troops
already stationed there received considerable
reinforcements.

With all these grounds for suspicion, it was
not unnatural that the Spaniards should think
it necessary to prepare for war. But unfortu-
nately the country was not in a state to furnish
the resources adequate to such a conflict, even

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 33

had the energy of the government been equal
to calling them forth. The feelings of the
people were divided, or totally indifferent, with
regard to the constitution ; the kind of war
therefore, which had proved so fatal to the
French armies in a former conflict, was not to
be expected.

Under these unfavourable auspices for Spain,
the year 1823 opened. One of the first events
which marked its commencement, was the de-
livery of the notes of the three despotic courts,
which had taken the principal part at the Con-
oress of Verona. The menacing language held
in those notes, and the disapprobation with
which the existing state of Spain, under its
government by the Cortes, was treated, did
not tend to diminish the apprehensions of a
war which had already been so generally ex-
cited : and the indignation aroused by these
documents destroyed all probability of con-
cessions being made, which might avert the
evil, and conciliate the three powers. An un-
compromising answer was accordingly returned
by the foreign minister, San Miguel, to these

c5

34 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

notes. In this document, the independence of
the Spanish people, and their right to choose
whatever form of government might appear
best suited to the wants of the country, were
boldly asserted; and the inconsistency of the
sovereigns, in so harshly denouncing a con-
stitution which they had formerly acknow-
ledged, was put in the strongest light. Upon
receiving this answer from the Spanish Govern-
ment, the ministers of the three powers in-
stantly demanded their passports, and quitted
Madrid.

The die seemed now cast, which was to de-
cide the fate of Spain — perhaps of Europe;
and war became the subject which occupied
every mind. Preparations were set on foot for
augmenting the army, and putting the country
in the best practicable state of defence. The
establishment of the army, which amounted to
87,000 men, was proposed to be increased by
29,000 additional soldiers, to be drawn from
all the provinces of Spain, in proportion to their
population. The importation of arms and am-
munition was authorized, and two hundred gun-

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 35

boats were ordered to be fitted out, for the
defence of the coasts and harbours. The
finances, also, engaged a great share of the
attention of the government, and measures were
taken to improve the mode of collecting the
revenue, and to assist the State in recovering its
claims from the public debtor. Every measure,
in short, was adopted which appeared likely to
conduce to the strength of the country, and to
facilitate a vigorous defence against the enemy
of its independence ; and Spain loudly declared
her determination to act up to the line of policy
which these preparations indicated.

In the mean time, active measures were pur-
sued by Mina in Catalonia, for the extirpation of
the royalist bands in that province. He suc-
ceeded in taking Seo de Urgel, after a long
and obstinate defence had been made by the
garrison, and Mequinenza surrendered to him
shortly after. All the strong points of the
province were now restored to the government,
and although wandering bands of the Army of
the Faith still traversed the country, yet they

36 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

were almost uniformly unsuccessful in their en-
counters with the constitutional forces.

But while success rewarded the efforts of the
government and its generals in the North, their
very existence was threatened by a bold attack
made in the neighbourhood of the capital, by
two partisans of the royalist cause. Bessieres
and Ulman advanced as far as Brihuega, with
a force which had gradually increased during
their march from the northern provinces, till
it was estimated to amount to between 5,000
and 7,000 men. In their first encounter with
the troops which were sent against them from
Madrid, under General O'Daly, they were suc-
cessful in repulsing the attack which was made
upon them. O'Daly was then superseded by
Count Abisbal, who, after some preparatory
movements, attacked Bessieres and Ulman,
and compelled them to retire into Arragon,
where they separated, and the troops of the
former dispersed.

The appearances of an approaching war now
became every day more visible, and the Cortes

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 37

determined upon removing the king to a place
of greater safety than Madrid had proved to be.
Accordingly, on the 20th of March, he com-
menced his journey from Madrid to Seville,
having previously offered the strongest oppo-
sition to his removal from the capital. The
journey was conducted with every attention to
his health and convenience, and it terminated
at Seville, upon the 10th of April. Military
operations had commenced in the North four
days earlier.

On the 6th of April, the French Army began
to move towards the frontier, and some of its
divisions arrived at the Bidassoa. Here an
attempt was made to shake their fidelity, by a
band of French refugees, who displayed the
Imperial uniform and colours from the oppo-
site bank of the river. No effect was produced
by this attempt, and a discharge of grape and
musketry, from the invading troops, obliged
the refugees to fly with a loss of several
killed and wounded. On the 7th, a bridge was
thrown across the Bidassoa, and on that and

38 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

the following day the French army entered
Spain.

On the 9 th of April, St. Sebastian was sum-
moned to surrender; but the governor having
refused to deliver up the place, a blockade was
established round it, which was left to the
direction of Prince Hohenlohe, while the re-
mainder of the army proceeded on its march
into the country.

At Vittoria the army halted for some weeks ;
the head-quarters were then moved to Burgos,
where the Duke d'Angouleme arrived on the
10th May, and the whole army immediately
afterwards began its march upon Madrid. They
met with no opposition in their advance, and on
their arrival before the capital, terms were pro-
posed by the Constitutionalists, and a conven-
tion was agreed upon, by which General Zayas,
with a small body of the constitutional troops,
was to retain possession of the town till the
French were ready to enter.

An attempt was made by Bessieres to force
his way into the capital, before the arrival of

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 39

the French ; but after a sharp action with the
troops of General Zayas, the royalists were de-
feated with a severe loss. The French van-
guard now hastened its march, in consequence
of these disputes, and in order to be on the
spot to prevent the outrages which it was ex-
pected would take place ; and General Obert,
who commanded it, entered Madrid on the
23rd of May — a day sooner than had been sti-
pulated by the convention.

A regency was now appointed, under the
auspices of the Duke d'Angouleme, to which
the supreme government of the country was to
be entrusted, so long as the king should re-
main in the hands of the Constitutionalists.
The individuals who composed it were the
Duke del Infantado, the Duke of Montemar,
the Baron de Eroles, the Bishop of Osma and
Don Antonio Calderon. The appointment of
the regency, and the entry of the French into
Madrid, were speedily followed by important
defections from the Constitutional side. Abisbal
was one of the first to desert to the French ;

40 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

and his example was imitated by others at a
later period.

The Cortes, meanwhile, were occupied in
Seville, in declaiming against the foreign inva-
sion, and eulogizing the patriotism of the coun-
try, which was about to repel it by an unanim-
ous effort ; but seeing the French in possession
of Madrid, and preparing to advance against
Seville, they deemed it advisable to remove
their sittings, and also the person of the king,
to Cadiz.

It was known that determined opposition
would be offered by the king to this resolution ;
and the event did not deceive expectation. The
king obstinately refused to remove from Seville ;
not, as he declared, from any personal objection
to the change, but because he considered the
measure prejudicial to the interests of his
people. After every endeavour had been un-
availingly made, to change this determination
on the part of Ferdinand, the Cortes, on the
motion of Galiano, voted that the king was in
a state of insanity, and that it was expedient

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 41

that he should be placed under coercion and
carried to Cadiz by force ; and having decreed
this, they appointed a regency of three mem-
bers; namely, Valdez, Ciscar and Vigodet.

The English minister now informed the
Cortes, that having been accredited to the
King of Spain, and not to a regency, his func-
tions must cease for the present, and that he
must decline following; the Cortes to Cadiz, but
would remain at Seville till he could receive
fresh instructions from his Government. The
minister of the United States, the Charge
d' Affaires of the Netherlands, and the Swedish
minister, adopted the same line of conduct.

While the King and Cortes were thus re-
moving farther from the scene of action, the
French generals began more active operations
against the southern provinces. Two divisions
of their army, under Generals Bourmont and
Bourdesoult, were ordered to advance upon
Seville and Cadiz ; while Molitor, who had
hitherto remained in Catalonia for the purpose
of co-operating with Moncey, received direc-
tions to press forward, by Valencia and Murcia,

42 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

to Grenada. The column which advanced by
La Mancha forced the passes of the Sierra
Morena, and arrived at Cordova on the 13th, —
where they found that a counter-revolution had
taken place, by which the Constitutional autho-
rities had been expelled, and the old system
re-established.

Considering that, under these circumstances,
their presence at Cordova could be of no ser-
vice, this division proceeded to effect its junc-
tion with that of Bourmont, — which had
marched by the Tagus, and had arrived at
Truxillo on the 11th of June. The two corps
united then marched rapidly to Seville. On
approaching that city they found that it also
had declared for the royal cause ; they, there-
fore, did not consider it necessary to occupy it,
but pressed on to Cadiz, which, it was evident,
must become the ultimate theatre of hostilities.

In consequence of this movement of the
French columns, the Constitutional General,
Lopez Baiios, perceiving that the town would
only be defended by the royalist troops and the
citizens, determined to make an attempt upon

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 43

it, for the purpose of raising a contribution, and
obtaining supplies of clothing for his men. With
this design he attacked the town on the side of
Triana on the 16th of June, and after meeting
with a firm resistance from the troops who were
posted to defend the bridge, he succeeded in
forcing his way across it, and after a struggle
on the other bank of the Guadalquivir, he
eventually made good his entrance into the
city. He then rapidly raised the contributions
which he required, and effected his retreat to
Cadiz with about 2,500 men.

The efforts of the French were now directed
against that city, round which they established
a loose blockade about the middle of July ; and
on the 28th the Duke d'Angouleme quitted
Madrid to join his army, which was now
assembled there, and amounted to about
30,000 men. On his road to the south he de-
prived the royalists of the authority with which
they had been at first invested, and which they
had used in the most intemperate and impolitic
manner. He issued a decree at Andujar, which
prohibited any arrest by Spanish authorities,

44 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

without the sanction of the French officer com-
manding the district. The public journals also
were subjected to the superintendence of French
officers.

These measures created great dissatisfac-
tion in the royalist party, and tended to
strengthen those feelings of enmity which had
always existed between the French and their
bigotted allies.

On the arrival of the French Generalissimo
at Port St. Mary, on the 10th of August, he lost
no time in sending an aid-de-camp with a flag of
truce, charged with a letter addressed to Ferdi-
nand. The French envoy, however, was not
admitted to an audience with the king, and he
was informed that he could not be allowed to
hold any communication with him, except
through the medium of his responsible advisers.
The aid-de-camp then demanded to see the
Governor of Cadiz, and was admitted to a con-
ference with Valdez, who at that time held the
post of Governor, and was likewise chief of the
permanent commission of the Cortes appointed
upon the prorogation of that body. To him

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 45

the aid-de-camp of the Duke d'Angouleme de-
livered the letter with which he was intrusted,
upon receiving a promise that the king should
be made acquainted with the contents. They
were as follows : —

" Sire, my Brother and Cousin :
"Spain is delivered from the revolutionary-
yoke. A few fortified towns only now serve as
an asylum to implicated persons. The king,
my uncle and lord, had thought (and events
have in no wise changed his opinions) that your
majesty, restored to liberty and using clemency,
would deem it advisable to grant an amnesty,
necessary after so many troubles, and to give
to your people, by the convocation of the an-
cient Cortes of the kingdom, guarantees for the
re-establishment of order, justice and good
administration. All that France can perform,
as well as her allies, and the whole of Europe,
in order to consolidate this act of your wisdom,
I do not hesitate myself to become a guarantee,
shall be done. I have thought it. my duty to
remind your majesty, and, through you, all

46 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

those who may still prevent the evils which
threaten them, of the feelings of the king, my
uncle and lord. If in five days hence I shall
not have received any satisfactory answer, and
if at that period your majesty shall still be de-
prived of your liberty, I shall recur to force in
order to restore it to you. Those who shall
listen to their passions, in preference to the
interests of their country, will alone be answer-
able for the blood that may be spilled.
I am, with profound respect,
Your very affectionate Brother,
Cousin and Servant,

Louis Antoine."

From my Head-Quarters, at Port St. Mary's,
this 17th of August, 1823.

The answer of the king stated that he was
not deprived of his liberty, and that he could
not accede to the proposals of his royal high-
ness ; but that he would gladly terminate the
war through the mediation of Great Britain.

In consequence of this answer of the king's,
Mr. Eliot (now Lord Eliot) the secretary of the

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 47

British Legation, was despatched by the Minister,
who was then at Gibraltar, to the head-quarters
of the Duke d'Angouleme, bearing a proposal for
a mediation on the part of Great Britain, between
the belligerents. He arrived at Port St. Mary's
on the 27th or 28th of August, and had an inter-
view with his royal highness shortly afterwards.
In the conversation which took place, the duke
entered very fully into the nature of his posi-
tion, and the extent of the powers with which
he was invested. He declared that it was im-
perative upon him to demand of his Govern-
ment a specific sanction, previously to accepting
the mediation offered by his B.M. Minister ; for
that so little discretion had been left him, that
the draft of the letter which he had addressed
to the King of Spain on the 17th inst., had
been forwarded to him from Paris, and he had
not considered himself at liberty to make even
a verbal alteration in it.

The duke showed some anxiety to ascertain
the nature of the concessions which the British
minister imagined that the Cortes would be in-
clined to make ; adding at the same time that

48 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

the only proposition which he was authorized
to listen to, was the liberation of his Catholic
majesty. When that indispensable step towards
farther negociation should be adopted, it would
be possible for him to understand the real sen-
timents and wishes of the King of Spain, con-
cerning which he was as yet in complete ig-
norance.

The British Secretary of Legation replied,
that it was impossible to give any denned
opinion as to the concessions which the Cadiz
Government might feel disposed to make ; but
a representative Government, really speaking
the sense of the nation, would, he apprehended,
be a sine qua non.

The duke assented to the propriety of this
condition, and observed that no one could be a
warmer admirer of that form of Government
than himself, and that he had no hesitation in
attributing the existing prosperity of France
to the liberal institutions established there. He
added, however, that he much doubted whether
fit elements to compose a national representa-
tion existed in Spain. The ignorance and

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 49

bigotry of the one party, and the Jacobinical
spirit of the other, would, he thought, be in-
surmountable obstacles to the establishment of
a moderate monarchy. His Royal Highness
then proceeded to deplore the excesses of which
the royalist party had been guilty, since its
restoration to power by the French, and de-
clared that the conduct of the Madrid Regency
had been a source of the greatest uneasiness
and disappointment to him. He had used
eveiy endeavour to restrain their zeal, and
mitigate the violence of their conduct, and
had, he asserted, been in many instances, suc-
cessful. The interview concluded by the Prince
assuring Mr. Eliot that he would, without loss
of time, inform the cabinet of the Tuilleries of
the substance of the proposition of which he
was the bearer, and he hoped, though he con-
fessed he scarcely expected it, that his govern-
ment would accede to the proposal.

A second communication took place between
Sir William A'Court, and the Duke d'Angou-
leme, on the 14th of September. On this
occasion, Mr. Eliot was again employed as the

VOL. I. D

50 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

bearer of a despatch, in which the offer of a
mediation was renewed, and a British ship of
war was proposed as the neutral spot upon
which the plenipotentiaries might meet. This
plan had been suggested by the Cadiz govern-
ment, to his Britannic Majesty's minister.

The Duo d'Angouleme appeared, however,
to have received precise instructions from his
government, in the interim. He declined listen-
ing to any overture, whatever, of mediation,
and declared that there was only one condition
upon which he was permitted to treat, namely,
that Ferdinand should be liberated, and as a
proof of his being free, should repair to the
French head-quarters. He added, that he was
now convinced that the only means of setting
the royal family at liberty was, force of arms —
to which he was about to have recourse.

The French army now began active opera-
tions against the besieged. The first point of
which it was necessary that they should make
themselves masters, was the Fort of the Troca-
dero, which stands upon a narrow neck of land,
on the opposite side of the harbour to the

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 51

town of Cadiz. The Spaniards had been very
diligent in putting this fort in a state of de-
fence, and the French were repulsed in their
first assault upon it; but through the negli-
gence of a picquet, to which the most exposed
part of the fortress was entrusted, the garrison
was surprised on the following night, and the
French effected their entrance into the place.
They then constructed batteries, from which
they bombarded the City of Cadiz; but the
distance was too great to allow their fire to
make much impression.

The occupiers of Cadiz were so much dis-
couraged by the fall of the Trocadero, that they
almost directly afterwards endeavoured to open
a correspondence with the generalissimo of the
French. The Due d'Angouleme, however,
refused to enter into any negociation till the
king should be set free ; and though the Con-
stitutionalists at first refused to treat upon these
terms, yet their distresses so rapidly increased,
from the want of finances, from the incipient
disaffection of the troops, and from the bom-
bardment of the town, (which was now carried

d2

52 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

on by the gun boats of the French fleet), that
it was at length necessary to abandon the de-
fence, and take advantage of the conditions
which the French commander was willing to
grant. The first article of these conditions was
that the King and Royal Family should, before
any further proceedings, be set at liberty, and
should repair to Port St. Mary, or Chiclana, to
meet the Due d'Angouleme, with whom the
conditions were to be finally settled, upon which
peace should be granted to Spain. These terms
were accordingly accepted, and on the 1st of
October, Ferdinand passed over from Cadiz to
the head quarters of the French, at Port St.
Mary.

The first acts of Ferdinand were such as to
destroy, at once, all hopes of safety, and of an
improved government, — which, many were led
to believe, would have been secured by the re-
commendation and influence of the French.
Ferdinand immediately ordered that Cadiz
should be given up to the French ; and they
accordingly took possession of that place on
the 3rd of October. No amnesty was pub-

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 53

lished by him, and no doubt could remain as
to what the tenor of his future government
would be, when immediately after his release,
he appointed his confessor, D. Victor Saez,
as head of a new administration.

While these events were passing at Cadiz,
the two divisions of the French army, which
had been sent by the northern and south-
eastern provinces, had successfully accomplish-
ed the reduction of that part of Spain, in
which their operations were conducted. Ge-
neral Bourck, who commanded the corps,
ordered to act in the North, had traversed the
Asturias without meeting with any determined
opposition, though the partisans, Campillo and
Palarea, had defended certain points upon the
line of his advance, with considerable ob-
stinacy. But the liberal cause received a fatal
blow in this quarter, by the defection of Mo-
rillo. That chief, at first pretended only to
throw off the authority of the Regency appoint-
ed at Seville, and declared his wish to preserve
the neutrality of Gallicia. These appear, how-
ever, to have been only preparatory steps to

54 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

his complete defection, which took place on the
10th July, when he passed over to the French,
taking with him a corps of about 3000 men.
General Bourck then proceeded to besiege Co-
runna, where he met with a vigorous resistance ;
but the garrison finally capitulated, upon con-
dition that the town should be delivered up to
Morillo, who was to hold the appointment of
Captain-general of Gallicia. Corunna was ac-
cordingly entered by that general on the 2 1 st
August.

The affairs of the Constitutionalists were not
more prosperous in Valencia and Murcia, where
Ballasteros was opposed to the advances of
Molitor. The Spanish general made several
attempts to check the march of the French
towards the southern provinces, but met with
no success, having been repulsed in the actions
in which he had come into contact with the
enemy. He was at length driven out of Murcia,
and retreated with his corps (which was still of
considerable force) to the neighbourhood of
Grenada and Jaen.

Finding that Molitor was approaching the

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 55

former city from Guadix, Ballasteros collected
his best troops, with secrecy and expedition,
and posted himself not far distant from the road
on which the French advance was to take place,
hoping that they might not possess intelligence
of his movements, and that he might succeed
in surprising them. Molitor, however, had been
apprised of the designs of the Spanish leaders,
and instantly determined upon attacking the
corps of Ballasteros. The following day he
put his intentions into execution, and defeated
the Spaniards with considerable loss. They
retreated, and were closely pursued by the
French during several days ; at the expiration
of which they were again attacked in a strong
position on the heights of Campillo de Arenas,
where they met with a decided overthrow.

This was the last effort which Ballasteros
made in favour of the Constitutional cause.
He shortly afterwards followed the dishonour-
able example of Morillo and Abisbal, and went
over to the French, by whom he was continued
in the enjoyment of his rank and pay.

Before these occurrences were known in

.36 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

Cadiz, it had been determined in that city to
make a vigorous effort for the Constitutional
cause in the district which had been entrusted
to the defence of General Ballasteros. In fur-
therance of this object, Riego was despatched
from Cadiz, and proceeded to Malaga, where,
havino- taken command of a corps of 3000 men
which was stationed there under General Zayas,
he proceeded to collect such a force as he could
muster. While thus employed he was threat-
ened by the advance of three divisions of the
French army, who were marching to Malaga
with the intention of surrounding him, and he
hastily left the town ; but meeting on his march
with the division of Bonnemains, he changed
his direction towards the south, and arrived in
the neighbourhood of Ballasteros, at Alcala la
Real, on the 10th September.

Ballasteros being informed of the movements
of Riego, advanced with some of his troops,
and a firing commenced under his directions,
by which several of Riego's soldiers and his
aide-de-camp were killed. The troops of Riego,
however, showed no disposition to engage with

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 57

their opponents, but threw up their caps and
appeared desirous of uniting with the Royalists.
A conversation then took place between the
two generals, in which Riego in vain endea-
voured to engage Ballasteros to make a last
effort against the French. Finding all his en-
deavours fruitless, and being disappointed in an
attempt to gain possession of the person of
Ballasteros, and to seduce his troops, he was
obliged to retreat hastily, to avoid a strong de-
tachment which Molitor had sent to overtake
him. He did not succeed in seducing any part
of the corps of Ballasteros ; but, on the other
hand, several of his own men deserted him, and
joined the forces of his adversary.

In the meantime, other bodies of troops were
despatched to intercept Riego, and he was over-
taken at Jaen by General Bonnemains, by whom
he was defeated and driven out of the town ;
and although the troops endeavoured to defend
the heights behind Jaen, and several other posi-
tions on the line of their retreat, they were
eventually forced back beyond Mancha Real.

Riego now pursued his retreat upon Iodar,

58 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

intending probably to gain the mountainous
country of the Sierra Morena, or to make an
effort to seduce some troops of Ballasteros
which were in the neighbourhood of Ubeda.
The general commanding the French division
at Cordova had taken preparatory measures for
frustrating these intentions of Riego ; and he
now despatched a strong party of mounted
chasseurs and infantry upon Iodar, while he
himself repaired with the utmost expedition to
a village called Baeza, on the road between
Iodar and Ubeda, in order to intercept Riego,
on his march towards the latter place, in case
he should have passed Iodar before the arrival
of the detachment sent thither in search of him.
The chasseurs and infantry hastened to gain
possession of the latter place, in the hope of
occupying it before the arrival of Riego. They
found, however, that his troops, to the amount
of about 2000 men, were already established
there; but the French commander, perceiving
the surprise caused by his sudden appearance,
did not allow himself to be detained by the fire
of the posts, but despatched his regiment round

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 59

the outskirts of the town to attack the main
body of the Constitutionalists, which was drawn
up in two squares in the rear of it. This force
was charged, and compelled to fly, by the ca-
valry of the detachment, and, upon reaching
the mountains behind Iodar, they dispersed in
all directions.

Upon the dispersion of his troops, Riego had
escaped into the mountains, with a few officers
who formed his escort. Here he wandered about
for several hours, till, exhausted by fatigue and
hunger, he and his companions were obliged to
apply for assistance to the Hermit of Pedro
Gil, and to an inhabitant of Vilches, named
Lopez Lara. These men at first refused to
guide Riego and his party on their road towards
the Sierra Morena, by which they were desirous
of proceeding to Estremadura. They were,
however, compelled to conduct the fugitives,
and, towards night, the party arrived at a farm,
at which they knocked to demand shelter. The
door was opened to them by a brother of Lopez
Lara's. Riego then entered the farm, accom-
panied by only three of his followers, having

60 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

dismissed the rest, from apprehension that too
numerous an escort might betray him. But his
own unguarded conversation with his friends
had already discovered to the hermit and his
companion, who the stranger was whom they
were escorting ; and they determined to make
use of the knowledge they had thus acquired,
and to deliver Riego into the hands of the au-
thorities. One of the three followers of Riego
who entered the farm with him was an English-
man, and he alone appeared to feel some dis-
trust of the intention of their guides, and of the
inhabitants of the farm. Immediately on en-
tering he locked the doors, to prevent any one
leaving the place ; and the same distrust appears
to have kept him on the alert during the follow-
ing morning, though his vigilance proved inef-
fectual in saving Riego from the consequences
of his imprudent conduct.

Early the next morning Riego, who, with his
companions had reposed in the stable, desired
that a farrier might be procured to shoe his
horse. The guide, Lopez Lara, offered to take
the horse to a neighbouring village ; but to this

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 61

Riego would not consent, and he insisted that
Lopez's brother should be despatched for the
purpose of bringing the farrier to the farm.
Lopez, however, found an opportunity to ac-
quaint his brother, in a few words, with the
quality and name of the stranger, and desired
him to give notice to the magistrates, that they
might take measures for his apprehension. The
peasant proceeded accordingly in search of the
farrier, and having given information to the
authorities that Riego was then at the farm,
he promised to manage in such a manner that
they should be able to surprise him while he
was at breakfast. On his return to the farm he
informed Riego that the farrier would arrive
immediately, and the general then sat down to
his morning repast. The Englishman, how-
ever, who was deeply impressed with the idea
that some treachery was meditated against his
chief, refused to join the party who were at
breakfast, and remained at a window, observing;:
with a telescope the country in the neighbour-
hood. He at length perceived an armed party
advancing towards the farm, and immediately

62 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

called out to Riego to be on the alert, for that
soldiers were advancing and that he was be-
trayed. It was now unfortunately too late for
defence ; for the moment Riego and his friends
started up from the table and drew their swords,
Lara and his brother, who were prepared for the
occasion, seized their carbines, and levelled
them at the fugitives. Riego's resolution now
abandoned him, and he delivered himself up a
prisoner to one of the peasants, and even al-
lowed him to bind his hands behind his back.
The arrival of an armed force completed the
capture. Riego was then conducted as a pri-
soner to Carolina, from whence he was after-
wards transported to Madrid.

We have already related the circumstances
of the capitulation entered into at Cadiz. It
took place subsequent to the events which we
have last described ; but in order not to inter-
rupt the narrative of the main operations which
decided the fate of Spain, we deferred giving
some account of the expedition and capture of
Riego till we had brought the former to a con-
clusion.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 63

Ferdinand's first act, after repairing to the
head-quarters of the French generalissimo, was
to publish a manifesto, in which he declared all
the acts of the Constitutional government to be
null and void, — his consent to them having
been extorted from him while he was deprived
of his liberty. The second article of the mani-
festo approved of every thing which had been
enacted by the provisional junta of government
formed at Oyorzun, and by the regency estab-
lished by the authority of the Due d'Angouleme
at Madrid, when the French took possession of
it in the month of May.

Several severe orders were also issued by
him, with reference to his journey to Madrid.
All those who had been deputies in the Cortes
during the two last sessions, were prohibited,
under the severest penalties, from approaching
within a certain distance of the road by which
he was to travel. Many other individuals, who
had held important stations during the exist-
ence of the Constitution, were banished from
Madrid for ever, and Ferdinand seemed dis-
posed to adopt such harsh measures, that the

64 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

Constitutionalists began to quit the kingdom in
o-reat numbers. Many of those who remained
were subjected to secret and arbitrary imprison-
ment, in spite of the endeavours of the French
commander to put a stop to these vindictive
proceedings.

Riego himself was reserved for a more severe
fate. The active part which he had taken, from
the beginning of the revolution till its final sup-
pression, marked him out as a fit victim for the
vengeance of Ferdinand. He was accordingly
condemned to be hanged upon a gibbet of ex-
traordinary height, for the part he had taken in
the proceedings of the Cortes at Seville. The
7th of November was the day fixed upon for
his execution ; and on that day he was conveyed
from his prison to the place appointed, amidst
an immense crowd of silent spectators. He
met his fate with great firmness and self-pos-
session ; but was scarcely able to mount the
ladder which ascended to the gibbet, from the
effects of the fetters which he had worn during
his imprisonment.

Thus ended the Spanish revolution of 1820.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 65

It had taken its rise in the discontent of the
soldiery, who found a support in the inhabitants
of the great towns; — a class always the most
advanced in the career of civilization, and de-
sirous in Spain of an improved form of govern-
ment. Apathy and indifference at first pre-
vailed towards the Constitution amongst the
farmers and peasantry ; and these feelings were
soon changed into decided hostility, when the
government enacted those injudicious measures
which suddenly and arbitrarily deprived the
ecclesiastical establishments of their revenues,
and thus withdrew, from those classes who
depended upon the bounty of the church, the
resources which their poverty or indolence made
necessary, and which the monks liberally af-
forded them.

Notwithstanding that the opinions of the
different classes were thus opposed to each
other, it seems probable that the constitution
would gradually have established itself more
firmly in the country, had not the French king,
stimulated by the suggestions and remonstrances
of the Northern powers, determined upon sup-

66 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

pressing, by means of a powerful army, the
attempt of an independent people to procure a
constitution more suited to their wants, and
calculated to improve the condition of a country,
reduced to the lowest state of weakness and
decay by the effects of a long-continued vicious
system.

These aspirations were not completely smo-
thered by the occupation of the French ; and
since the period of their quitting Spain, when-
ever circumstances have appeared to offer any
chance of success, strong indications have been
given, that a deep-rooted wish for more liberal
institutions exists in the breasts of the most
enlightened Spaniards. During the last few
years many events have favoured the develop-
ment of these feelings, and, in the present day,
they have again shown themselves to prevail
with undiminished influence. The result of the
civil conflict now taking place, to whichever
party it may be favourable, will probably estab-
lish the predominance of more liberal opinions
in the Spanish kingdom.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

ON THE

SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

ON THE

SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE,

In laying this book before the reader, as my
first attempt in a branch of literature which lies
entirely out of the range of my usual occupa-
tions, let me be permitted to make known, in a
few words, what I have proposed to myself in
writing it, — in order that the reader may ex-
pect neither more nor other than that which I
intend and promise to give : for according to
that, I hope to be judged by all reasonable
readers.

It may appear to many that so much form is

70 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

unnecessary in the introduction of a book of
this description, where, after all, only a momen-
tary entertainment is usually aimed at. But it
is not only my right, but my duty, to set a
higher and more serious value on a work which,
if I did not so value it, I should not feel justi-
fied in giving to the world : for nothing surely
can be more offensive to the public than to
claim its attention to a work on which the
writer himself professes to set no value.

In order that this reproach may not be ap-
plicable to me, I declare openly that I really
think this present attempt may serve some
better purpose, than that of a mere transient
entertainment, leaving no trace behind it, and
that I hope it may not be confounded with,
nor sunk in the flood of our usual circulating-
library novels.

My intention throughout is to represent reali-
ties. The persons, characters and manners, the
opinions and passions, — lastly, the landscapes
and buildings which I represent to the reader,
in more or less hasty pictures, — are those which
I have myself known and seen in Spain. Of

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 71

the adventures, I was either an eye-witness
myself, or the circumstances of them were
related to me by those who took part in them.
The only liberty I have taken with them is,
that I have transposed, arranged and connected
these isolated pictures, so that they form a
loosely connected whole, which is, as it were
held together, by the destinies of several per-
sons running through it. By calling this whole
a succession of sketches, I relieve myself from
all the obligations which are incumbent on a
novel writer.

On this account also it cannot be objected
to me that I introduce neither a hero nor a
heroine. I only wish to give the reality. The
novel-writer may, according to his pleasure,
make one or more persons the centre of his
creation, round whom, whether they are acting
or suffering heroes, the events revolve, and who,
(whether gently or harshly) are always treated
with great attention by Providence, or fortune,
or more properly by the author himself. But
in real life there are no heroes, and destiny in
fact disquiets itself little about individuals ;

72 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

more especially in such an epoch as that which
has now opened in Spain. There, individuals
or the individual are little or nothing more than
waves in the tremendous stream of time.

But such insignificant individualities obtain,
notwithstanding, some interest through the cir-
cumstance, that the stream, after all, is only
composed of a multitude and succession of
small waves, and that the human mind is only
moved by the destiny or misfortunes of indi-
viduals, while it is not able to receive the im-
pression of the united stream. No human mind
could support the total impression of a war, or
even of a single field of battle, if it were able
so to overlook, receive, and comprehend it, as it
does the impression of a single wound or
corpse. It is scarcely possible to give the total
impression, or as it were the abstraction of a
people, a country, or an epoch ; and if one
were to succeed in doing so, such a picture
would affect neither the mind, the heart, nor
the imagination of the beholder, because in
fact it would show him nothing but the impres-

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 73

sion which the object represented had produced
in the representee

The only method of supplying, however
scantily, the want of personal observation, con-
sists in representing individuals from among
the people, localities from the country, and
moments from the epoch ; leaving it to the
spectator himself, to work the impressions
which such pictures make upon him into an
idea of the whole — into an abstraction.

Further, I think myself the less deserving of
blame in not depicting heroes of any kind,
neither of romance nor others, but only such
insignificant individuals as form the mass of the
people, for this reason : that the heroes and
heroines of even the best historical novels —
those of Walter Scott for instance, — excite,' if I
mistake not, far less interest than the living and
powerful representations of scenes from the
actual life of the people — for example of the
Scotch and Highlanders : and these have in
many respects a real historical importance, in-
asmuch as they facilitate to the reader, the

VOL. I. E

74 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

comprehension of the history and destinies of
that people. I therefore cannot renounce the
hope that I may contribute by these sketches
to a better knowledge of one of the most re-
markable, and yet least known of existing coun-
tries and people.

The only ground on which I preferred this
form to that of the narrative of a journey, is
the impossibility of conveniently inserting in
the latter, all those single traits and pictures,
which present themselves in endless succession
to the attentive observer in a foreign land. It
would be impossible in such an undertaking to
avoid one of two evils — either the progress and
form of an otherwise well arranged narrative
would be interrupted and disfigured, or the dis-
persion of the single adventures and colours of
such pictures, would put any lively or forcible
impression out of the question.

That the developments of character in these
sketches are no deeper or more widely ex-
panded is justified by the title ; but they would
be less suited to the subject itself than if that
subject were another country — Germany for

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 75

instance. In the Spaniard, and if I mistake not,
in the Southern in general, subjective life is
predominant. Religion, custom, force, in short
the positive, decides many questions, the solu-
tion of which belongs elsewhere to the province
of the novel-writer. The material itself, there-
fore is limited in the subject which I have
chosen ; and not to recognise those limits would
be to misunderstand that subject.

In short, let the indulgent reader only re-
collect that he is turning over sketches, and he
will forgive many things which it would be
tedious to enumerate at present.

Great is the number of romances and novels
in all languages, of which Spain is the scene :
but all, with few exceptions, betray such ridicu-
lous ignorance of the moral, as well as physical
localities of that country, and its inhabitants,
that they are not worthy of mention on that
head, however great their merit may be on the
score of invention. I only know three works of
the kind which form an honourable exception :
namely, Salvandy's Don Alonzo, and two novels
which appeared a few years ago in London :

e 2

76 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

Don Esteban, and Sandoval. In Don Alonzo,
are to be found many anecdotes and characters
taken from the life of the people, and repre-
sented with striking truth ; but they are often
almost buried in romantic bombast, and amidst
(certainly) very striking and attractive descrip-
tions of historical events, and political affairs.
It is far from my intention to enter the lists
against that excellent work, with these hastily
dashed-off sketches. I wish, on the contrary, to
withhold the reader by this remark from making
any comparison between them ; since the sub-
stance and form of the two are so different.

The author of Don Esteban, and Sandoval,
is a Spaniard, who lives in exile in London, on
account of his political opinions. His narra-
tions are disfigured by great (though certainly
justifiable) party hatred, and by the desire to
relate nothing but what is highly remarkable.
In his descriptions of the Spaniards, those points
are frequently omitted, which the stranger most
desires to be informed upon, in order to obtain
a lively picture of their nation ; and in general,
the writer endeavours more to excite the interest

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 77

of the reader by romantic events, dangers, and
crimes, than by unexaggerated representations
of actual ordinary life. It appears to me then,
that it cannot be detrimental to these sketches,
to have had the above mentioned predecessors ;
since they are in fact quite distinct from those
works, both in matter and in manner.

Whether the characters, manners, and events,
which I describe, will give the reader a favour-
able opinion of that part of the Spanish people
which they represent ; I must leave undecided.
My object is neither to praise nor blame, but
only to describe what exists ; and the reader
must recollect, that all I can give here, is, a few
figures from an infinitely varied and extensive
picture. It depends upon the reception which
this first attempt may find, whether others will
or will not follow it. In the former case per-
haps the single parts may in some degree ar-
range themselves into a whole. But it would
be a subject of regret to me if the excellent
nature and qualities of a people who have been
unhappy more through the fault of others than
their own, and whom I sincerely love and

78 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

esteem, should not also be perceived by my
readers.

I considered myself called upon, in justice
both to the reader and to myself, to say these
few words as to the nature and object of these
sketches. Let me also be permitted to prefix a
few general observations, on the social and
domestic life of the Spaniards, which may in
many respects facilitate the proper comprehen-
sion of what follows.

It would be unjust to reproach me with
laying too much stress on an insignificant ob-
ject; for what can be of more importance than
the social life of a people? It is the actual
result of its manners, and of its civil and re-
ligious institutions. In it, more than in any
thing, the degree and nature of a people's civil-
ization is made apparent. In order to convince
one-self of this, it is only necessary to consider
how short the time is in ordinary life, which is,
in a strict sense, occupied by civil duties or
employments — how few hours of the year the
generality of people pass either in the courts,
or at church, or in the orator's tribune ; while

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 79

(especially in the South) they pass the greater
part of the day in free social intercourse of one
kind or another. Yet, notwithstanding this, we
believe we know a people, when we are scantily
acquainted with its history and civil constitu-
tion;— and most authors think they have de-
scribed a people sufficiently when they have
represented these things more or less minutely •
and they thus content themselves with des-
patching its social life in a few general phrases,
if indeed they do not pass it over in total silence.

In reality, the peculiarities which distinguish
Spain and the Spaniards from all other countries
lie much less in their civil institutions, than in
their social condition. Even in those countries
which in the former respect offer essential dif-
ferences, those differences are for the most part
new, while the dissimilarity in social life is
very old.

The character also of the Spaniards is in
many respects very different from that which
might be expected to result from their civil and
religious institutions; for whilst these last bear
the exact stamp of that political wisdom, which

80 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

was considered the highest before the revolu-
tion, and even now is ill concealed under new
forms and denominations — whilst those, I say,
have succumbed under the effects of an endless
and excessive refinement, and the intricacy of
the machinery, together with the slowness,
formality and confusion arising from it, — the
social life of the Spaniards, on the contrary, is
distinguished by a freshness, simplicity and
freedom, which is not to be found in the same
degree amongst any other European people.

This is without doubt a striking contrast;
but it is not the less true, because it is difficult
to explain, and it is doubtless more convenient
to many not to acknowledge such contradic-
tions, or not to pay attention to them, as they
might derange the general opinions and phrases
with which people are so ready.

Yet surely when the national character, and
cast of mind of the Spanish people, is in ques-
tion, not only their religious and civil organiza-
tion should be considered, but still more their
social and domestic life. It is however not sur-
prising that these should be exactly the points

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 81

which have produced very unfavourable opinions
and views of the Spaniards, in several travellers,
and through them on the public in general.
The chief reason is, that many travellers have
seen extremely little, and that little either very
hastily or under the influence of extraordinary pre-
judices. This happens indeed with all countries,
(one has only to call to mind the opinions of
English travellers on Germany and France) but
no where so frequently as in Spain. Some re-
marks on this point may therefore not be deemed
superfluous.

Spain is perhaps less visited by travellers
than any country of Europe. This circum-
stance alone is sufficient to account for the fact,
that the few who do visit that country enter it
with a proportionally greater stock of preju-
dices than is the case when other countries are
concerned, and these prejudices yield with more
difficulty to an unbiassed view, because they
are generally mixed with a large share of pre-
sumption.

No French or English commercial traveller
arrives in Spain, who does not look down with

e 5

82 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

great contempt, on a people so far behind his
own country, in the manufacture of pommades
or cotton cloths ! This self-conceit is alone
sufficient to close the eyes even of learned and
accomplished travellers; and to it are added
the real inconveniences and dangers of the jour-
ney— which easily put one who is accustomed
to the convenience and safety of other countries
into a permanent ill humour ; and in this state
of mind he judges of all that goes on around him.

Another principal difficulty with most tra-
vellers, is the want of sufficient acquaintance
with the language of the country. This indeed
is an indispensable condition, without which no
traveller can claim a right to offer an opinion on
the people. — And this applies in an especial
manner to Spain, where a foreign language is
not even sufficient for obtaining the most essen-
tial wants of life.

These and other reasons, which this is not the
place to treat of, may explain how it happens,
that many travellers visit Spain, only to paint,
with their eyes shut, the prejudices which they
have brought with them, and perhaps the in-

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 83

dividual appearances which have forced them-
selves on their notice disagreeably, and against
their will, and to publish the creations of their
fancy, or recollections from the accounts of their
predecessors, as representations of the people
and the country.

I will bring forward only one insignificant
example. According to the general opinion, the
Spaniards have dark and gloomy countenances
and black eyes — they wear broad-brimmed hats
and their hair in nets, — have large brown cloaks,
and are ragged, dirty, poor and idle. This
picture is in fact true of particular parts of some
provinces, but is ridiculously untrue of many
others, for instance the Biscayan provinces.
The Basques are rather fair than dark-haired,
they wear no broad hats, nor their hair in nets,
nor any cloaks — they are on the whole in easy
circumstances, or at least very far from ragged,
and are one of the most active, industrious, and
cheerful people to be found any where.

When the sort of traveller I have spoken of
arrives in Castile, where he finds at least a
part of the creations of his own fancy, it is

84 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

enough for him, as the diligence drives quickly
past, to see a few men sitting or standing about
wrapped in brown cloaks, with their hats pulled
down over their faces, and with countenances
gloomy, at all events, in the eyes of a French-
man, to make him give up these people to his
imagination, as vagabonds, robbers, beggars, or
conspirators; and he brings forward on the
subject a string of the finest and most philan-
thropic and enlightened phrases.

Far be it from me to deny that there are,
and have been, many travellers in Spain, who
have in some degree understood the art of see-
ing and hearing; although one easily perceives
in the best descriptions of Spain, that the
authors have confined their observations of
men, to much too narrow and select a circle,
and have kept themselves too much apart from
the mass. If, then, the opinions even of such
travellers, are in great part unfavourable to the
Spaniards, it would be expedient to enquire,
how far the principles on which such opinions
are founded, are tenable and praiseworthy.
Whoever looks upon our social life as the only

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 85

blossom or fruit of civilization, cannot avoid
accusing the Spaniards of barbarism.

For the theatres, coffee-houses, and number-
less other places of public amusement, without
which, even comparatively small places in
civilized Europe cannot exist, and in which the
largest cities of Spain are inferior to them — for
the dinners, suppers, dejeuners, ambigus, the-
dansants, soirees, balls, and routs, or whatever
the inventions of the insatiable emptiness of
our social life may be called — no compensation
is to be found in Spain; and the simple course
of domestic life is only interrupted on rare
and solemn occasions. Even in Madrid, it is
only the highest ranks who in this point en-
deavour to adopt foreign manners. To this is
added, that exactly the only public entertain-
ment to which the Spaniards give themselves
up, with much passion, is the bull-fights, which
are condemned without mercy by our tender-
hearted civilization. If one adds to this the
poverty in the innumerable objects of luxury,
in clothing and nourishment, which our refined
taste has raised more or less into necessities, it

86 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

becomes easily explained why the greater num-
ber of strangers vituperate and condemn Spain,
on account of its insufferable monotony, and
look upon it rather as a part of barbarous
Africa, than as the head of civilized Europe.

Such opinions are entirely worthy of the spirit
of our whole civilization and enlightenment,
and they resemble the spirit which they con-
tain! The ultimate object of our whole indus-
trial-representative doctrine of civilization, is
the production of the greatest possible quantity
of material enjoyments, and the distribution of
them amongst the greatest possible number of
persons. Freedom itself — the freedom of the
press, of thought, of elections, of industry, and
of trade — is necessary only, because without
freedom the sciences, industry, trade itself fails,
enjoyments are diminished, and steam-engines
are frightened away. The sciences are neces-
sary and must be favoured, only because their
inventions are of service to manufactures and
trade, and increase the number of enjoyments.
Freedom, science, religion, poetry, are different
wheels in the great machine which fabricates

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 87

pleasure for the people, or in which the people
walk round fabricating it for themselves ; and
these machines are the more praiseworthy, the
more simply and quickly they work, and the
more good work they perform. Nations them-
selves stand higher according to the greatness
and variety of their enjoyments.

All this has its fair side, and must be looked
on as a stage of civilization ; but the arrogance
is blameable which regards it as the only desir-
able state of things. One may be permitted to
hope, that other objects and motives lie at the
bottom of the lives of nations, as well as of
individuals; that the wretchedness of such a
view, lies only in the view, in the system, and
not in the thing itself; and that the emptiness
of this system will be gradually laid open and
felt, — in short, that some other scale will be
introduced and acknowledged, by which to
test the worth of a nation, rather than the
number of yards of cotton which it is capable
of producing. We praise, or used to praise
formerly, in the ancients, their habit of dwelling
in poor huts, whilst the temples of their gods,

88 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

and other public buildings, rose in all the great-
ness and splendour, which materials or art could
give to the works of man.. This is still, more
or less, the case in Spain, — the dwellings of
private people are simply unpretending; while
the churches, convents, hospitals, and courts of
justice, are splendid: an infallible sign of bar-
barism, according to existing ideas of civilization.
The present is not the place to develope more
fully this subject; and I can find no other ex-
cuse for what I have said, than the ill-humour
which the judgments and opinions on Spain
and Spaniards, so generally diffused, are calcu-
lated to excite in the mind of an unprejudiced
observer, who giving account to himself with all
conscientiousness, can neither perceive nor
understand the great advantage which nations,
considered as civilized, have over the Spaniards,
unless he allows himself to be entirely biassed
by the appearances and circumstances of the
moment. However paradoxical it may seem,
there is perhaps no other country so calculated
as Spain, to raise doubts of the boasted wisdom
of our political economists.

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 89

Although the material disadvantages arising
from the whole physical and moral connection
of causes and events, which for centuries have
formed the Spanish state, and the Spanish peo-
ple, have been much exaggerated, yet it cannot
be denied that they exist in a high degree.
But it is the more remarkable that this order of
things, characterize it as we may, produces, and
has produced a people, and a race, which in real
moral worth, and natural talents, whether one
considers it as a whole, or in its individuals,
is not excelled by any nation in the world.

But we must return to our subject. — If the
public amusements, and the enjoyments of life
amongst the Spaniards are more simple than
with us, yet they are more uniformly diffused
amongst all classes, and can be repeated more
frequently, and even daily, on account of their
great simplicity. A pleasure, for instance, which
both sexes are passionately fond of in Spain, is
the Paseo — the taking a walk. Every city,
every town, every village almost, has its Ala
meda, or its Paseo — replacing on a diminished
scale, the Prado of Madrid — a level space be-
tween two rows of trees, with stone benches,

90 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

and a well or fountain. Here the inhabitants
assemble in great numbers every evening, to
walk up and down a few turns, to rest upon a
bench, to drink a glass of iced water, and lastly,
to see and to be seen.

It should not pass unobserved, how great a
part fresh water plays in the enjoyments of the
Spaniards ; the hot climate, and the scantiness
of water, in some places, cause it to be used
with more care than it is elsewhere ; and in the
countries and towns most abundant in water,
you will often try in vain to procure so fresh
and inviting a draught as the Aguadores offer
you in Spain, at all houses, in every street and
square.

Another public amusement, if one may so
call it, quite peculiar to Spain, at least in this
mode, is the assemblies of men on some public
square, which takes place every morning be-
tween ten and eleven o'clock. In Madrid it is
at the Puerta del Sol ; in Toledo at the Zoco-
dovar; in Seville, on the Place of St. Domingo;
in Granada, the Place of Vivarrambla and the
Zacatin, and at other spots in other towns.

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 91

These assemblies have a striking resemblance
to the Forum, or Ayopr? of the ancients. Here,
partly, private affairs are despatched ; but the
public interests of the day also, from the emp-
tiest gossip, to the most important affairs of
the town, province, or country, are discussed
amongst the numerous groups, with zeal and
often with some degree of talent ; and, however
incredible it may appear, always with an open-
ness not to be found, under the like circum-
stances, in any other country. This moment,
in the daily life of the Spaniards, has such a
charm for them, that I have heard the avowal
from men, who have lived in the most brilliant
capitals of Europe, and were rather inclined to
over-value foreign countries, that all the enjoy-
ments, and pleasures of Paris, Vienna, London,
and Berlin, could not compensate to them for
the hour that they were accustomed to pass at
the Puerta del Sol in Madrid.

But these assemblies are of more importance
than they appear to the stranger at the first
glance. He who is able to judge the character,
frame of mind, and change of the groups which

92 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

assemble at the Puerta del Sol, for instance, has
already an available clue to the course of public
affairs.

The proper societies of Spaniards, the so
called Tertullas, answer in a general way to the
conversaziones of the Italians, and to those
veillees which are common in the provinces of
France. Whoever is introduced into a house,
is seldom or ever again formally invited — leave
only is given him by the general impression,
" this house is yours," to come again as often
as he likes, but with the understanding, that
neither he nor its inhabitants are to impose the
slightest constraint upon each other. If the
visitor comes at the hour of the mid-day meal,
he is welcome as a guest ; if he comes during
the siesta, no one is at home to him. If he
comes after the siesta, and finds the family at
home, he is welcome to conversation, music, or
dancing, and sometimes (but more in the higher
circle) to play : — all this, however, without the
slightest preparation, or the least constraint.
If one or two couples wish to dance, and some
one is present who will play for them, either on

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 93

the violin, pianoforte, or especially the guitar, a
player of which is never wanting — they dance
as long as they find it agreeable.

In general the fundamental principle of the
Tertulla* is, that the ordinary course of house-
hold arrangements, and life, is not to be in any
way disturbed by it. There are also no ex-
penses connected with it, since usually nothing
is presented to the guest but a glass of water,
or at most a cup of chocolate.

On this account, it happens that all ranks,
rich and poor, have their Tertullas — that is to
say, that there are few families who may not
assemble their friends in their house at night,
provided their qualities of mind or body are
such, that they can attract or fix any one.
These Tertullas, however, do not oblige the
family or person who gives them, to remain at
home to expect their guests — if they prefer
going to the Paseo, or to another Tertulla, and

* What may be the etymology of the word Tertulla? — I
have not yet succeeded in discovering anything satisfactory
on that point.

94 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

their visitors find the house empty, nobody
thinks there is any thing to find fault with.

The same absence of constraint prevails in
their dress, and people go into the Tertulla, and
give the Tertulla, in the same dress which they
wore the whole day during their usual occupa-
tions. The character of social life in Spain is
best described by an expression which the
stranger hears frequently, if he seeks there the
ceremony, prudery and vanity of ours, or takes
them with him and cannot get rid of them im-
mediately. Unfortunately this expression can-
not be literally translated, precisely because the
thing itself is not known in other countries —
" Aqui hay franqueza" — say the Spaniards.

It may be asked — what pleasure or what
profit can arise from the assembly and inter-
course of persons who are so wanting in know-
ledge, and in subjects for conversation, and
whose intellectual condition is so confined, as
we imagine (in a certain sense and up to a cer-
tain point with justice) that of the Spaniards to
be ? My intention is here, to try the weak
sides of that which we praise in other countries,

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 95

as education, and to examine to what degree
this education — this repletion of impressions
and images, which flow almost entirely from
books, and seldom from the external life to the
internal, — enriches and strengthens the mind,
or blunts and enervates it ; and how far social
life (to keep to that point) gains or loses by it,

I wish only to explain the grounds of the
reproach which people apply to the Spaniards.
I lay it down as a thing proved by experience,
that a foreigner who brings with him a healthy,
open mind — as it were an undepraved intel-
lectual stomach — will in a very short time take
a permanent liking to the social life and con-
versation of the Spaniards — in a word, to the
Tertulla.

The causes which produce this pleasure are
easy to discover. The Spaniards, however
confined the circle of their ideas and knowledge
may be, bring to any conversation on the ob-
jects which lie within this circle, a certain
earnestness and well-intentioned zeal, which is
necessarily the soul of conversation. They
bring, on the other hand, a hearty open feeling

96 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

for a jest; a free understanding of the maxim,
" give and take ; " and, generally, a natural wit,
and a lusty humour, which our over-refinement
excludes. The Spanish language itself is the
only one, except the English, which contains
humour in copious streams. Moreover, the
Spaniard generally brings to social intercourse,
a capacity for the reception of all that is beau-
tiful and noble, a very just, if not a very supple
understanding; a lively imagination, and effi-
cient practical sense in his circle of wants and
wishes; frequently an ardent desire of know-
ledge, which, however, only yields to conviction,
and which prefers the living word to the letter:
lastly, and what is most to be remarked, a
natural address and dignity of behaviour, which
excludes vulgarity, and great facility of expres-
sion in a language whose force and richness he
alone can rightly estimate who has heard it in
the country itself. The thing might perhaps be
said in two words; the Spaniards are less biases
than we civilized and more highly educated
people; and they are less "sophisticate," as
Shakspeare somewhere says.

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 97

Every unprejudiced person will grant that
these alone are elements which give agreeability
and interest to social life : but many other
qualities essential to those ends may be added.
Without bringing forward, in opposition to the
general opinion of the ignorance of the Spaniards,
the great number of men whom later times
have made acquainted with the scientific trea-
sures of other countries, at least of France
and England, we will try the question by the
average scale of knowledge, as it is generally
found amongst the Spaniards.

It is true that with us a gymnasiast learns and
knows a number of things in history, natural
history, mathematics, ancient and modern lan-
guages, and so on, which are unknown in Spain,
even to a (so-called) Sabio, or learned man. But
it is equally true that this continual learning,
this repletion from without, on which our whole
education is grounded, and which perhaps is
not to be altered, weakens and blunts in most
cases, the powers of the mind, the very springs
of intellectual life, and every thing which is
emphatically natural, and cannot be learned,

VOL. I. F

98 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

So that the majority, when they have once
attained the end of all this learning, — an office
or practical employment — when they have en-
tered practical life as men — reject the greater
part if not all of that acquired and (so to speak)
formal and forced knowledge, and then, mostly
with a mind crippled and dried up, and without
any of the higher elements of intellectual
interest, merely vegetate.

In Spain it is otherwise. The Spaniard does
not learn so much in his youth ; but neither
does he forget so much; and his powers of
mind remain fresher and more original; his
character and judgment form themselves earlier
in real life ; and as a man, he stands there,
much poorer in knowledge it is true, but much
richer in experience, in sound manly under-
standing, and in living interest for that which he
knows, and desire for that which he does not
know, than is generally the case with us.

The knowledge itself of the Spaniard is, on the
whole, of that kind which gives an easier and
fresher nourishment to social conversation, and

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 99

to the living word, than our comprehensive
book learning, book imagination, and book-
sensibility; because it is for the most part
connected with actual life, and with what
immediately surrounds society. In every com-
pany, in every small town, one finds one or
more persons who occupy themselves with the
history, the arts, the antiquities or the remark-
able objects of natural history, of their province,
city, or town. They do this after their own
fashion, it is true, and without a general view,
or perhaps even an idea, of the connection of
these appearances immediately surrounding
them, with the great whole of science. But
their interest is alive; what they know, they
have themselves seen, themselves collected with
trouble, and as it were discovered, although it
may long have been known elsewhere. Their
circle too takes a lively interest in their pursuits ;
their knowledge is as it were a common pro-
perty, which is deposited with them for the
honour and improvement of their province,
city or village, and it is pointed out to the

f 2

100 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

stranger with a certain patriotic pride, and is
zealously defended against the pretensions and
merits of neighbours.

The female sex occupies, as one may imagine,
a very important place in the social life of the
Spaniards; and consequently love is a prime
agent in the general result which ensues. It is
usually a matter of course that every he and
she in the Tertulla which they have once got
into the habit of frequenting, is carrying on an
affair of the heart. This is really a kind of
mutual supposition or understanding. No one
thinks of putting difficulties in the way of
another ; on the contrary, there is something-
comic in the way in which society facilitates
these matters to a stranger, who has not yet
made his choice, and therefore does not well
know where he belongs to, and where he is to
seek his place ; or to a couple who are seeking
each other.

What is to be said against this, is easily said;
and without pronouncing a judgment, I merely
wish to characterize. Love and the intercourse
with women, in Spain, is not mere light gallantry,

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 101

or cold calculation ; as it is for the most part in
France ; it is also not merely coarse sensuality,
or measured ceremony, such as are to be seen
in curious contrast in the office of Cavaliere
Servente in Italy. The Cortejo in Spain is no
mask, no smart show husband, like the Cavaliere
Servente in Italy, but a bona fide lover, of real
flesh and blood, whom mutual passion attaches
to a woman.

If married fidelity and its laws are not so
strictly attended to in Spain as the opinions of
the north require, at all events the fidelity of
love is so much the more sacredly observed.
Infidelity in love is branded by public opinion,
whilst on the other hand society protects almost
every tie which love has fastened. The Spanish
women make love their chief occupation, and
look upon the duties and laws of love as the
most important and binding. The severe judg-
ments which have been formed on Spanish
women, if they are not entirely the fruits of
vanity and imagination, arise from the great
freedom and absence of restraint in expression ;
from that very franqueza which lies at the

102 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

root of Spanish life, and which easily misleads a
stranger who is a superficial observer, or is apt
to draw theoretical conclusions from erroneous
inferences and hasty opinions. Whatever faults
the Spanish women may have, they are neither
coquettes nor prudes ; and that at least is a
great point in their favour. That which the
women bring into society, besides love, and in
which the whole society may have a share,
while love belongs to one alone, is an unequalled
natural grace in speech, in looks, in all their
movements — in short, in their whole being ;
and this in a degree not to be met with else-
where. They possess a natural understanding
and wit, with a facility and force of expression,
which are really astonishing, considering the
total want of what is generally understood by
education and instruction. They have also
great enthusiasm for the glory, the independence
and the freedom of their country, and in gene-
ral a liveliness and freshness of all feelings and
interests, whether it be love, religion, hate,
jealousy, joy or grief, which show themselves
without false shame or prudery, and break

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 103

forth on every occasion, like an uncontrollable
stream, in inspired words, glowing looks, and
the most expressive yet graceful movements.

Should this picture of the Spanish women
appear to the reader too warm, or too highly
coloured, 1 refer him to what Laborde says on
this subject, in his excellent work, which can
the less be objected to as it comes from a
Frenchman, who certainly would not without
the most pressing conviction have made a com-
parison of this kind between the Spanish ladies
and his own countrywomen. He says amongst
other things, very justly, "The Spanish women
have a freedom in their expressions and in their
behaviour which is apt to produce an unfavour-
able impression on strangers; but when one
knows them better, one finds that they appear
to promise much more than they grant, and
that they do not even allow those familiarities
which in other countries the most strict females
think they may permit without any detri-
ment."

A later traveller, Townshend, who is often
caustic and not rarely hasty in his judgments,

104 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

has made the same observation ; but he draws
a conclusion from it which is very unfavourable
to the Spanish women. "As they feel their
weakness and know how easily they may be in-
flamed, they distrust themselves, because they
are afraid of yielding too easily."

This is supposing in them extraordinary
weakness and extraordinary calculation ; and
they have neither. The kind of reserve alluded
to is founded in their manners and feelings ; it
arises from their principles in love, which do not
allow them to set about reckoning before -hand
the precise limits to which their passion shall
extend, or to use that coquetry which is so
common in other countries.

"If Spanish women," Laborde concludes,
" are amiable, if they are sometimes well in-
formed, they have themselves only to thank for
it ; education has done nothing for them ; it is
almost entirely neglected. If their natural
talents were developed and expanded by a
careful education, the Spanish women would be
too charming."

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 105

But one must first know what is to be under-
stood by an " education soignee," and whether
that which the Frenchman understands by it,
is to be desired for the Spaniards.

Without wishing to infer much from it, I will
here observe, that the English and French
women on the whole do not please in Spain ;
while, on the contrary, they fancy to themselves
the German women as the ideal of softness —
fair hair, blue eyes, and roses and lilies, " han
de ser muy dulces las Alemanas,"* say the
Spaniards.

Another characteristic trait in the private life
of the Spaniards, is a degree of social freedom
and equality unknown in any other country,
which in the Tertulla, the Paseo, or the Place
brings into contact the artizan, the merchant,
the officer, the employe, the clergyman of every
rank, the noble, the marquis and the count, on
a footing of the most perfect equality ; and it is
worthy of observation, that this equality pre-
vails as much or still more amongst the women,
* The German women are said to be very soft.
F 5

106 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

who unfortunately in other countries so often
undertake the unamiable character of priestesses
to the arrogance of nobility, wealth or title.

No one however must infer from what has
now been said on social freedom and equality,
that those classes of persons, whose poverty or
want of education, have placed them in the
lowest grades of civil society press themselves
into the intercourse of the higher orders, and
seek for a gratification to their vanity by so
doing. Exactly the contrary is the case : the
independence of the lower classes in Spain has
never that insolent, aggressive and impudent
character which one often finds in France and
England, and which especially in England, often
alternates with the most cringing humility.
In a word even in the commonest Spaniard,
even in the populace there is not that lowness
or coarse vulgarity which one often finds in the
same classes in the north. I remember an
Englishman who knew Spain thoroughly, and
often bitterly censured it, but always concluded
his remarks thus : " and yet, by God, they are
noble fellows !"

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 107

The same honest pride which requires that
where the different classes come into contact it
should take place with the most perfect equality
— the pride which sees in that circumstance, no
triumph, no honour, but something which is a
matter of course and quite natural, prevents
an annoying intrusion and inconvenient mixing
of men, who from their different education can
have no satisfactory or agreeable points of
contact in society. What divides society is
the intellectual education, and intellectual wants
only, not the external position of its members ;
and within that body which is called in a
general way the^cLucated classes, there is no
social aristocracy — no separation.

From the scope of the foregoing remarks,
there is only to be excepted some remains of
the old Grandeza whose life belongs exclusively
to the court. The classes that lie below or
without this boundary have not, as one might
imagine, the wish to overstep it, but rather hold
themselves to their equals. But where chance
brings together the lower or lowest classes with
the higher or highest, for instance, on j ourneys,

108 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

or on passing occasions of mutually rendering
service, it always takes place with the most
perfect equality; which is only possible through
this circumstance, that the lower classes are
only distinguished intellectually from the higher,
by less information, while they have all natural
talents in common with them, but especially a
natural address, and dignity of behaviour and
manner, and an ease and force of expression,
which excludes cringing or coarse vulgarity,
and makes it possible for the man of education
and rank to hold intercourse with the common
man as with his equal.

Thus it arises that the outward forms of
politeness and of social intercourse are nearly
the same amongst all classes ; so that the edu-
cated inhabitant of a town can step without
any disagreeable feeling or collision into a venta
full of carriers and muleteers, or into a peasant's
house; and the countryman or muleteer can
enter the most brilliant coffee-house, or the
dwelling of the richest townsman, without em-
barrassment or humiliation. This kind of social
freedom and equality, the honest pride, the

OP THE SPANISH PEOPLE. 109

grave, and measured politeness, the noble bear-
ing which one meets with almost throughout,
and more especially amongst the lower classes,
produce in the stranger who has any feeling for
these qualities, a kind of permanent, agreeable
sensation, a certain delight, which I at least,
have never felt in any other country, but on
the contrary, have frequently painfully felt the
want of. Nay ! even at the risk of appearing
eccentric, I avow that this feeling has made all
hardships or dangers which may be connected
with travelling in Spain, not only supportable,
but even agreeable, and has caused me to think
with a sort of longing regret, of the many
delightful evenings I have passed in a Spanish
venta, after a fatiguing day's journey.

I am morally and by experience convinced,
that whoever finds exceptions to this rule, and
cannot get on with the Spaniards, has almost
always himself to blame for it. He who does not
understand the language, or speak it fluently —
he especially who forgets the essential rules,
viz., to treat every one as his equal, and to give
himself no airs of any kind, and he who

110 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION

shows distrust, fear, or arrogance, towards the
Spaniard, or who treats him with unbecoming
familiarity, is sure to have a bad understanding
with him, and to find himself in a disagreeable
position.

People reproach the Spaniards with their
pride, and the more bitterly that the tradi-
tionary prejudice represents it as the ridiculous
and groundless pride of a beggar. But this
opinion arises partly from a false supposition,
partly from the vanity of those who entertain
it. The pride of the Spaniards is not founded
on an over-estimate of the external advantages
of the country or people, or on an ignorance of
their own wants, and the advantages of fo-
reigners. In general it is not so much national
pride as human or man's pride. In a word, it
is not vanity nor arrogance, but that genuine
natural pride which justifies itself, and neither
seeks nor requires any external motive. The
pride of the Spaniards is generally any thing
but aggressive. They allow willingly to the
foreigner the advantage in a number of out-
ward acquirements and their fruits ; but then

OF THE SPANISH PEOPLE. Ill

they do not set so very high a value on these
things, because they do not miss them, and also
in spite of this comparison they preserve the
feeling of their own worth.

But if sometimes the pride of the Spaniard
shows itself in a less noble manner, if he seeks
sometimes to extol boastingly that which is his
own, in opposition to what is foreign, it will be
found to be almost always in cases where he
has been irritated by an insufferable contempt,
and an offensive vanity on the part of fo-
reigners. When the Spaniard looks upon the
heroes and heroic deeds of his history — on the
splendid monuments of the arts which still
surround him — on the riches of his literature,
and of his language ; while he feels within him-
self the pride which is conscious of no offence
or oppression, and would, therefore, suffer
none ; while lastly he feels secure of being able
to satisfy his simple wants, and does not miss
the luxuries of foreign countries, surely it may
with some justice appear ridiculous and offen-
sive to him, that foreigners should dare to con-
sider him as a slave and a beggar.

112 ON THE SOCIAL CONDITION, ETC.

A farther analysis of these subjects, proofs of
the facts, and explanations of their causes,
would lead me too far ; but I am not without
the hope that the following sketches may con-
tribute with some readers at least, to modify
their opinions upon Spain and the Spanish
people.

SCENES

OF

SPANISH LIFE.

CHAPTER I.

LA VENTA DE CARDENAS.*

At the entrance of the well known pass of
Despenaperros, through which the high-road
leads from Castile to Andalusia, over the Sierra
Morena, stands a solitary inn, called the Venta
de Cardenas, well known to travellers through-
out all Spain.

Close behind the house, rise the rocky hills
of the Sierra Morena split asunder by gorges.
The mountains appear to the traveller, who ap-

* In Spain, a solitary inn removed from a village or
town, is called a Venta. The inns in villages or towns
are called Fondas, Posadas, Mesones. The Fondas are
the principal ones.

116 LA VENTA DE CARDENAS.

proaches them through the high and bald plain
of Castile and La Mancha, only like a row of
low dark blue hills, while on the southern, An-
dalusian side, they rise in powerful masses.

Before the Venta the naked reddish plain of
La Mancha extends as far as the horizon, and
the eye seeks refreshment from the monotony
of this prospect, on the small portion of green,
which lies in its immediate neighbourhood. On
the side of the house is a thicket of almond
trees, and roses, and a small garden run to waste,
containing some vegetables, cucumbers and
melons, which with their luxuriant tendrils and
leaves, almost conceal the nearest trees, and
bend towards the earth, with the weight of
their fruits. In the middle of the garden a
wheel to draw water, of the simplest construc-
tion, such as was introduced into Spain by the
Arabs, is set into creaking motion, by a mule,
which paces round with blinded eyes and mea-
sured step.

In front of this inn of Cardenas, arrived, on

LA VENTA DE CARDENAS. 117

a fine evening of the month of May 1822, a
train of heavily laden mules with their drivers
(arrieros) and some travellers. Both men and
cattle were covered with the red clayey dust of
La Mancha, and expressed, each in his way,
their joy, at the ending of a long and toilsome
day's journey. The tired men were only wel-
comed by the violent barking of some powerful
mastiffs, which were chained up beside the
Venta ; whilst full a dozen of beautiful grey
hounds, such as La Mancha produces, sprang
forward from all sides, and increased the noise.

The Mayoral, or conductor of the train, an
old man, whose sunburnt visage expressed
honesty united with the cunning of long ex-
perience, got off a little mare which he rode,
with the exclamation, " God be praised ! " and
led her by the bridle, through a small wicket,
which was introduced into the great gateway
of the Venta, and had been opened in the mean
time.

The mules followed prudently and in good

118 LA VENTA DE CARDENAS.

order, one after the other, with long outstretched
necks, and placed themselves of their own ac-
cord, inside, in such a manner, that they could
be conveniently unloaded. The drivers and the
travellers followed them, and as it had become
dark, the wicket was again carefully closed and
barricadoed.

A more detailed description of the inside of
the Venta de Cardenas may give the reader a
picture of the best class of Spanish Ventas,
which sometimes are built at considerable ex-
pense, and belong to a munificent foundation,
or to some grand senor whose coat of arms is
then generally displayed over the door. The
resemblance of such Ventas to the Caravan-
serais of the East is striking. The whole forms
only one room, a spacious hall, the ceiling of
which is formed by the roof of the house itself,
with its rafters supported by three rows of strong
square stone pillars. Even by day, this ex-
tensive space only receives, through a few small
apertures in the side walls, and through win-

LA VENTA DE CARDENAS. 119

dows in the roof, a scanty light to which the
eye must first accustom itself before it can re-
cognize objects, and comprehend them. In
this hall, there is room for men, cattle and
cargoes, and it may on many occasions, have
given shelter to full a hundred men, and two or
three hundred mules, without their incommoding
or disturbing each other. Immediately round
the gate stood several loaded carriers' carts and
four-wheeled waggons, called " galeras. " The
mules were tied up along the wall on either
side, and were only perceived by their stamping
and snorting. Around some of the pillars were
heaped up the chests, sacks, and bales of
different caravans which had taken up their
night's quarters in the Venta, while opposite to
the gate, at the farther end of the hall, blazed
a cheering fire. The smoke found its way
partly through the windows in the roof, and
partly rose up like a light cloud under the
rafters. The only separate space was a par-
tition on the side of the fire place, destined for

120 LA VENTA DE CARDENAS.

the Ventero and his family, and for keeping
the necessary kitchen utensils, forming as it
were a small house within the house. Against
one wall of this partition were ranged full a
dozen vessels of red clay, of the height of a
man, and proportionate breadth, which contained
the necessary water for the cattle, while a great
number of smaller vessels of a neat form stood
upon a plank, within reach of the travellers,
whenever they desired to drink. Between the
rafters of the roof were some garrets, which
seemed to cling there like swallows' nests.

Round about the fire, and in its vicinity, a
great number of men had collected together in
separate groups ; some occupied with prepar-
ing their night's quarters, or their food, while
others sat on little stools round small low tables,
(reminding one of Eastern customs) and con-
sumed their frugal supper.

At the fire was the Padrona, an elderly but
hale woman, busy with some maids, in getting
ready all sorts of food, which stood around or

VENTA DE CARDENAS. 121

hung over the fire in several dishes and pots —
and the guests carefully made room for the
sharp and zealous mistress of the house. A
priest, in the dress of the order of Dominicans,
seated in a wooden arm-chair, had taken pos-
session of the best place by the fire. He was a
corpulent personage, with fiery eyes, a cunning
look, a high forehead, and a mouth which ex-
pressed severity and imperiousness. Near him
sat the Ventero, not seeming to trouble himself
about any of his other guests. He was a cha-
racter such as Cervantes alone can paint, and
which is perhaps only to be met with in Spain.

The travellers last arrived also went up to
the fire, and greeted the company with an
" Ave Maria purissima ! — good evening Ca-
balleros, may your supper do you good." This
greeting was returned by the muleteers, carriers,
and peasants, with that grave politeness which
distinguishes, and so greatly facilitates the in-
tercourse, of all classes in Spain.

Those sitting nearest, invited the new comers

vol. i. a

122 VENTA DE CARDENAS.

to partake of their supper, with the words,
"Do you please to sup with us, gentlemen?"
for in Spain the Arab custom still prevails, that
no one eats or drinks without having first in-
vited his neighbours, and even passers-by to
partake of the meal. "A thousand thanks,
gentlemen," — answered one of the travellers, a
tall, thin, but well-made man, with a high fore-
head, and a kind but serious expression of
countenance, thick coal-black hair, and a de-
licately formed mouth. — The whole expression
of his countenance was attractive, yet enig-
matical.—Reflection and observation were the
prevailing characters ; yet it was not without a
mixture of softness, which almost betrayed
weakness.

This man wore a long black great coat, which,
together with a half fashionable hat, gave him
the appearance of a stranger.— Nevertheless, he
expressed himself in fluent Castilian, yet not
without a slight hissing and superfluous aspira-
tion, which showed him to be an Andalusian ;

VENTA DE CARDENAS. 123

and addressing the hostess, he inquired in a
friendly way. "Well, Padrona, what can you
give us to eat ?"

"Nothing at all," answered the Padrona
rudely, and without even deigning to look at
the inquirer.

" My wife will get cooked for you, whatever
you have brought with you, sir," added the
innkeeper rather more civilly.

" I must finish boiling this chicken, for the
worthy Father Franciso first, and then we will
see," concluded the Padrona.

The traveller seemed a little rebuffed at this
rather sharp way of dispatching him, and one
of his companions said to him, laughing, " Ha !
Don Antonio, have you again already forgotten
that you are not travelling in your much praised
France? but make yourself easy, I have pro-
vided for both of us."

The last speaker was a young man of about
twenty years of age, whose whole appearance
expressed gay and unconcerned enjoyment of

g2

124 VENTA DE CARDENAS.

life. His dark brown locks escaped in rich
profusion from under a sort of military cap,
called a " Cachucha,'* and a neat newly adopted
mustachio surrounded his mouth, which seemed
to be familiar with nothing but laughter, and
careless jests. His dress was half town, half
a country dress, and it had evidently not
been spared on journeys, and in the forest and
the field. He carried on his shoulder a long
fowling piece ; and not in vain, as it appeared ;
-^-for holding up a pair of wild ducks, which he
had shot on the way, he called out — " Come —
there will be some charitable soul at least who
will boil or roast these ducks for us;" and there-
upon hanging up his gun on a pillar, he began
to pluck them; he was soon, however, inter-
rupted in his work, by a young girl, who sprang
up to him, and said, in a friendly manner,
" Jesus ! young gentleman, how awkward you
are ! and yet you have such pretty hands !
give them to me — I will take care about your
supper."

VENTA DE CARDENAS. 125

!< God bless your black eyes, queen of my
soul ! for in truth I know how to employ my
pretty hands, and the arms that belong to them,
in a better way "

The girl slipped cleverly away from him, and
the young man, while his supper was getting
ready, sat down with his two travelling com-
panions, at one of the small tables, or rather
benches, which had become vacant in the
mean time. The third traveller, leaning upon a
soldier's musket with a bayonet, had as yet
taken no part in what was going on. He was
an elderly man, with inexpressive features,
reddish hair, and piercing grey eyes, and wore
a grey infantry great coat, such as had been
introduced into the national militia at Madrid.
He only took a seat after repeated invitations
from his young companion.

" You do not hear or see again, Vallejo" —
cried the latter; " Is not that a charming girl?"

" You are a charming baby, Rojas," was the
reply. " I have seen and heard more than

126 VENTA DE CARDENAS.

you ; for instance, look at the venerable
father, who considers us so attentively over
his shoulder."

" Well," said the other laughing, " the Right
Reverend has found out by our looks, what
spirit we are children of, and in order to make
him more sure of his affair, I will immediately
sing him the tragala, and will teach it to that
young girl, who is now kissing the old sinner's
hand."

" To-morrow morning, when you have again
forgotten the girl," said his companion, " I will
tell you more about the Pater; and as to the
tragala, be so good as to look behind those
pillars there."

Rojas now looked round, and observed several
pairs of cuirassiers' boots, which were hanging
on one of the pillars — "Well?" said he,
laughing — —

"Well," said Vallejo, "no one here wears
such boots, except the carbineers, a squadron
of whom are quartered at Andujar, and have

VENTA DE CARDENAS. 127

probably a post here; therefore, good youth, be
so good as to swallow your tragala* yourself
this time, for I have no desire to get into
scrapes on your account, and I have other
things to do."

Rojas had only heard with half an ear, the
warning of his companion; for in the mean
time the girl had come to lay the table, in
which operation she was disturbed by the jests
of the young man, and frequently frightened
by her mother calling to her. At last the
supper was brought, and occupied the hungry
travellers sufficiently for some time. The
Mayoral also, who had been busied hitherto
with his mules and baggage, now came up
to the society, and greeted the strangers po-
litely, and the hostess with a familiar " Good
evening, mother Anna." This last answered the
salutation, with unaccustomed civility. "Eh!

* Tragala was the burden of a revolutionary song. The
word itself means swallow it.

128 VENTA DE CARDENAS.

father Ramon* — so you shew yourself again at
last upon this road — a hearty welcome to you."

After the supper was concluded with some
olives, the wine skin kept the company still
together. Rojas had taken up a guitar, and
touched the strings with dexterous nonchalance,
singing all sorts of songs to the young girl, who
always managed to find something to do in his
vicinity. The Pater had looked on at what
they were about, with increasing annoy-
ance, and on a sign from him, the voice of the
mother resounded afresh — " Go to bed, Pepita !
— Are you not ashamed? — Away — Kiss the
venerable father's hand, and go to bed."

Half rebelling, and yet ashamed, Pepita
did what she was ordered, but Rojas still
called out to her, " Stop a moment, saltcellar,^
I will teach you another evening blessing" —

* Elderly men and women are called, literally, in Spain,
"Uncle" and "Aunt;"— but the expression answers ex-
actly to our " Father" in this signification.

f A Spanish term of admiration.

VENTA DE CARDENAS. 129

and turning towards the Pater, he sang in a
mocking tone, some verses of the tragala. On
receiving a serious look, however, from his com-
panion, he broke off, and followed the example
of the other guests, who had already, for the
most part, sought their night's berths. Woollen
blankets, and sheepskins, were laid out like
rays around the pillars which were nearest to
the fire-place, on which the muleteers and
travellers laid themselves down, wrapped in
their cloaks, whilst their arms, wine-skins, and
other travelling appendages, were hung upon
the pillars above them. By degrees, noise after
noise died away in the spacious hall; the fire
had burned down to a few scanty embers; and
soon nothing was heard in the darkness, but
the monotonous snoring of the sleepers, an\
every now and then the stamping of the mules
and horses.

Before break of day, all was again stirring in
the venta. The running backwards and for-
wards of the drivers, who were feeding, water-

g 5

130 VENTA DE CARDENAS.

ing, and loading the mules, and the sound of

the bells, with which one caravan after another

departed, drove away sleep even from those,

whose business would not have called them up

so early. The worthy Ramon was one of the

last who appeared, as he had only a short day's

journey before him. Our three travellers paid

the Padrona, a most unconscionable demand,

for the noise,* as she called it, and set out on

foot, after Rojas had in vain waited to see the

kind Pepita, and had felt himself not a little

mortified, when the Padrona assured him very

drily that Pepita was still asleep. Ramon's

mules also were soon ready, and set out in

company with their drivers towards the pass.

Ramon stood in the meanwhile still under

the gateway, and sipped down deliberately his

cup of chocolate, according to the custom in

Spain, where it is given gratis to the traveller

after the bill has been paid.

* " Por el ruido," — that is to say for the preparation of
the food, waiting and reception in the house.

VENTA DE CARDENAS. 131

"A good journey to you, father Ramon.
May God escort you!" said the Padrona, who
always shewed herself extremely gracious to
her old friend.

"We may stand in need of it," said the
Mayoral — "Bad times, mother Anna! from
your own door even one can distinguish a new*
cross on the road. Well, the Holy Virgin be
with you old friend — Pray for the poor soul,
and for us too — farewell ! "

While he was saying these words, he exa-
mined circumspectly the lock of his musket,
hung it upon the saddle, mounted his little
mare, and then trotted after the train, which
the windings of the pass had in the mean-
time hidden from his sight.

"A worthy man, that old Ramon," said the
Padrona to herself — " a thorough old Castilian

* A cross is setup in Spain wherever a murder has been
committed ; generally, the name of the deceased and the
date of the murder are written upon it.

132 VENTA DE CARDENAS.

— yes indeed, they are bad times; but if he
himself brings two such godless freemasons
and atheists with him, I should not be sur-
prised at any thing happening to him. If it
were not for Ramon's sake, not an Ave Maria
would I say for the vagabonds, even if it would
keep the seven children of Ecija* from them."

"But mother," interrupted Pepita, who in
the meantime had come up to her, " the Mili-
ciano was a smart youth, and knew such pretty
songs — and"

"Silence, Pepita," said the old woman, "learn
your old commandments better, instead of new
songs, and rise earlier. Now come and make
father Francisco's chocolate." So saying, she
went into the house, and the girl tripped pout-
ing after her.

* Los siete ninos de Ecija, — a band of robbers, who in-
fested for many years, the high road between Cordova and
Seville, and especially the neighbourhood of Ecija.

133

CHAPTER II.

THE SIERRA MORENA.

Ramon, in the mean time had overtaken his
mules, just as they were beginning slowly to
ascend the pass of Despeiiaperros. The pass
may with justice have borne this name in
earlier days. It signifies, a place where a dog
might break his neck ; but under the benefi-
cent government of Charles III., a broad arti-
ficial road was laid down, which leads with
some windings to the highest point of the pass,
and descends in more numerous ones on the
other side, down to the valley of the Guadal-
quivir. In many places, the road is carried on

134 THE SIERRA ivIGRENA.

bold arches over deep ravines, which the moun-
tain streams form in winter. On both sides of
the road, cleft points of rock, composed of glit-
tering slate, raise themselves in perpendicular
strata, the red colour of which forms a striking
contrast to the dark green of the thorn-oak and
pines, which grow on occasional terraces, or in
the ravines of the mountains. Whenever these
last open out, little isolated patches of green
turf, shaded by blooming almond-trees, break
the gloomy character of the neighbourhood.
Herds of cattle graze here, and the powerful
bull of the Sierra Morena, whets his horns on
the trunks of the oaks, and gazes bellowing
after the passing traveller. Every now and
then, turns in the road afford a view back on
the red bald plain of La Mancha, as far as the
distant castle of Consuegra, and the hills of
Valdepefias.

The train drew near slowly to the highest
point of the pass. It consisted of some fifty

THE SIERRA MORENA. 135

mules, and a dozen drivers. The simple cloth-
ing of the latter — their short jackets, with
trowsers down as far as the knee, and long
gaiters, all of coarse brown cloth — the red or
blue sashes round their bodies — their honest, and
somewhat heavy sun-burnt countenances, and,
lastly, the Montera cap peculiar to them, de-
noted them to be Manchegos inhabitants of La
Mancha. Most of them carried guns on their
shoulders, or had hooked them on to the pack-
saddles of their mules. The Mayoral did not
differ much in his dress, from his people.

Rojas and Vallejo went along, side by side,
behind the train, and the former was singing
gaily one of the new songs, such as were called
forth in numbers at that time, by the political
events of the day.

"Impudent rogue!" said some one behind
them, half aloud, and with a hearty curse. " I
mean my horse, gentlemen — don't disturb your-
selves— as soon as I get upon him again, the

136

THE SIERRA MORENA.

spurs and bit shall bring down his spirit,"
said the person who interrupted them, as both
the travellers looked hastily round.

He was a tall well-made man, of an ex-
tremely pale complexion, which was made more
striking by a coal-black beard and a high fore-
head, an almost bald head, with the little hair on
it just turning grey, (evidently more from the ex-
ertions he had experienced, than from age,) an
aquiline nose, and thin, rather compressed lips.
The inquiring and penetrating glance of his
deep-set black eyes made his countenance one
which it was not easy to forget. He wore an old
cavalry uniform, with rich gold epaulettes and
lace, together with a high hat and red feather, and
he held a heavy cuirassier's sword under his arm ;
— but without these appendages, his whole ap-
pearance and bearing shewed the old and tried
soldier. He led by the bridle, a coal-black
Andalusian horse, which reared impatiently,
but on his master's speaking to him, stepped
quietly after him.

THE SIERRA MORENA. 137

After they had greeted each other mutually,
Rojas said, "You have got a fine horse there,
sir officer?"

" It is at your service," replied the other,
according to the usual rule of politeness in
Spain ; — " but" added he, somewhat jeeringly,
" I may call you comrade, may I not ?"

" As you please," said the young Miliciano,
half ashamed, and half offended. — " I am Ser-
jeant in the National Militia of Madrid."

" Oh ! very good," said the officer, in an off-
hand way — and the conversation was inter-
rupted by their overtaking the third traveller,
who had walked on, lost in thought, some way
in advance of them.

The caravan halted at an ancient boundary
stone, which divides Castile from Andalusia.
On the Andalusian side is cut, the so called,
"Santa faz de Jaen;" and on the other, the
" Virgen del Sagrario," of Toledo. The first,
highly venerated in Andalusia — the second, in
Castile. The muleteers, who were all Castilians,

138 THE SIERRA MORENA.

knelt down on their side of the stone, and
prayed in silence ; the two Milicianos took off
their caps, and looked quietly on, while their
travelling companion, to their no small sur-
prise, also knelt down, and prayed on the An-
dalusian side; — the officer, who appeared to
take no notice of the others, and still less of the
object of their veneration, observed him with a
sarcastic smile.

After a little while, the whole train again
proceeded, and hastened to gain the top of the
pass. "There lies Andalusia," soon joyfully
resounded from the foremost travellers. At a
considerable depth beneath, at the foot of the
dark mountains, and their ravines, gentle undu-
lating hills, covered with the bluish green of
the olives, stretch far away; — and here and
there the white walls of some farm-house
(cortijo) glitter from the surrounding green of
the orange-trees. On the left, at a considerable
distance, was seen the old cathedral of Jaen —
near were Baza and Ubeda, surrounded by

THE SIERRA MORENA. 139

green pastures; while the picturesque tops of
the mountains of Granada, reddening in the
beams of the morning sun, bounded the horizon.
On the left, in gloomy darkness, lay the ravines
of the Sierra Morena, called "Las Navas de
Toledo;" celebrated for the glorious victory
which king Alfonso gained there in 1250,
against the countless armies of the Miramolin,
in which the bodies of two hundred thousand
Africans were heaped together in the vallies.

The travellers enjoyed this spectacle in silence.
A soft south wind wafted to them the odour
of roses, rosemary, and innumerable aromatic
plants, with which the southern declivities of
the Sierra Morena are covered. The noble
steed of the officer neighed joyfully in the fresh
morning air, as if he recognized the pastures of
Ubeda, his native country, and then laid his
handsome head on the shoulder of his master,
who kindly patted his graceful neck.

As the travellers got ready to follow the
mules, which had gone on in advance, the

140 THE SIERRA MORENA.

officer turned to the thoughtful man in black,
and said to him in French, " I should not
have thought you were so religious, Monsieur
l'Abbe — you kneeled almost as devoutly before
the image of the saint, as our old friend Ramon.
Such virtues must find more encouragement in
France now, than in our country.*'"

The person so addressed, looked at the officer
surprised and distrustfully, and answered at
last also in French: — "You may be mistaken
in me, Monsieur l'Officier; yet I confess that
this prospect, and this stone, have deeply
moved me. I enter my beautiful native country,
once again, after an absence of many years. —
But," he added after a pause, "how do you
know my condition ? how do you know that I
come from France?"

" Ah !" said the other, " as to the first point,
I have had, God help me ! latterly, so much to
say to the gentlemen of your profession, that I
will undertake to find out the tonsure, even
under helmet or hat: but there comes my

THE SIERRA MORENA. 141

worthy Sancho Panza — we must separate ; au
reste, you must not be vexed, if people know
more of you, than may always be agreeable,
that is the case now a days with many an
honest man."

Father Francisco now came trotting forward,
on a well-fed mule. " Well, venerable father,"
said the young Miliciano to him, laughing,
" has Pepita kept you so long at the Venta ?
In truth, your treatment there gives me a desire
to take the tonsure myself."

The father replied with an angry look, " Pe-
pita thanks you for the pretty music of yester-
day evening — it is to be hoped, we shall soon
teach you to dance to it — God go with you,
children !" Hereupon he turned his mule, and
entered the road which breaks off to the left,
and leads to Torrequemada, while Rojas sang
after him laughing —

" Ysi te pesa, roer el hueso
Los liberates dicen a eso,
Tragala ! Tragala !
Tragala! Tragala!"

142 THE SIERRA MORENA.

The officer in the meantime had spoken a few
words aside with old Ramon, and now mount-
ing his horse, said, turning towards the traveller,
" Farewell, Don Antonio de Lara — tiy once
more if you cannot recollect the college of
Antequera, and your comrade Fernando Men-
dizabal." With that he galloped after the
Padre, and a turn in the road soon concealed
him from the eyes of the traveller, who looked
after him astonished but not rejoiced, and then
hastened after his companions, who had in the
meantime mounted their mules.

After travelling through the German colonies,
founded by Olavides — Sta Elena, and La Caro-
lina— once blooming in the midst of the moun-
tains, but now deserted and or0ne to ruin: —
then over the field of battle of Baylen, where
Dupont allowed the belief that the imperial
eagles were invincible, to be destroyed— and
past the spot where the first palm-trees receive
the northern wanderer with certain promise of
the wished for south ;— through Andujar, where

THE SIRREA MORENA. 143

in our own days the princely word of a Bourbon
was hung out as a bait with which to entrap
liberal game; — lastly, through "el Carpio,"
where the waters of the Guadalquivir are
thrown, by ingenious machinery, up into the
olive-plantations of the Duke of Alba, which
cover the hills and fields for an extent of many
miles; — our travellers reached at length the
venerable city of Cordova.

Cordova, with its narrow winding streets, its in-
numerable churches and convents, and itsMoorish
mosque, lies, enclosed by high and ancient walls,
(behind which the Arabs vainly presumed they
could bid defiance to St. Ferdinand) on the
declivity of the Sierra Morena, which here
gradually loses itself in low undulations. Gar-
dens watered by the Guadalquivir, and decked
with all the wonders of the most luxuriant
vegetation, enclose the town. They are divided
by hedges of blooming cactus and aloes (be-
hind which a man and horse may conceal
themselves), and these are gradually lost

144 THE SIERRA MORENA.

towards the mountains in shady forests of
oak and chesnut.

Even from a distance, the wind wafts the
perfume of the orange flower to meet the tra-
veller, who during the first days of the tumult
of this new life, abounding in unaccustomed
sensations, can scarcely keep himself from a sort
of stupefaction.

As we cannot go back to describe the history
of the earlier life of the persons, whom we have
introduced to the reader, we will impart to him,
the contents of a letter, which Antonio de Lara,
wrote from Cordova, to a friend in Paris, and
which contains at least the most necessary in-
formation about him.

" At last then I am again in my blooming,
fragrant, and exuberant country, and that
I have immediately grown happy, on my
arrival here at home, proves to me, that I have
still, (in spite of the change which takes place
every seven years, as physiologists tell us) true
Andalusian blood in my veins.

" It is now ten years since I left my native

THE SIERRA MORENA. 145

country — a short time, you will think, who re-
nounced your own for thirty, in order to remain
true to your faith, and your king, but what
an eternity, if you consider the tide of events
which has flowed over Spain. And yet they
have only torn up the surface, — only created
some transitory forms, — and old Spain, and the
old Spaniards^ still remain immoveable under
the scanty cloak of your civilization. The per-
secution of fanatical priests drove me at that
time to France, where I found protection and
a sphere of activity, which made me forget that
I had willed and hoped more in another
place. At present, fanatical priests drive me
out of your beautiful France, and I seek pro-
tection in my own country, and find .... Well5
my dear friend, I would say that I find
much evil, but also much good — and contrasts
which you in the levelled and rounded off
civilization which surrounds you, will feel it
difficult to understand, and to which even I
must take time to accustom myself.

VOL. I. H

146 THE SIERRA MORENA.

"Many things are altered, and I myself more
than all. When, having escaped from my con-
vent ten years ago, I passed the Sierra Morena,
with all the youthful pride of a martyr for the
liberty of the mind, I thought myself much
cleverer than my countrymen, who knelt de-
voutly before the image of a saint, which there
guards the boundary. When I passed the same
road two days ago, I knelt, perhaps from volun-
tary self-humiliation with them, and prayed as
they did to the holy emblem, in which I believe,
though I am unable to comprehend it.

" A remembrance from my youth came across
me immediately after, which disturbed me, and
almost seemed like a bad omen. It was a man
with whom I had been educated at the college
of Antequera. — Without any defined grounds,
and without having had any serious disagreement
with him, I had always felt towards him a secret
antipathy. He is a Basque, — and we Anda-
lusians do not get on well with those stiff and
arrogant fools. At college we found means to

THE SIERRA MORENA. 147

enjoy the forbidden fruits of the French philo-
sophy ; but while in myself and many others,
an ardent zeal for liberty of thought, and what
we called the rights of man, replaced the old
belief, which our spiritual teachers had made
contemptible to us — this Mendizabal, ridiculed
our new faith and new hopes, as bitterly as he
did those of the pious fathers.

" He left the college long before me, and I
have heard nothing of him since, except that
he served with distinction in the imperial army.
He is now as I hear, captain in the carbineers,
which are in garrison at Cordova — the regiment
is known on account of its hostile feeling to-
wards the Constitution. It. belonged formerly
to the guard, but has now been removed to the
line. Mendizabal, as I hear, is said to be in
very intimate connection with the infamous
Freire, and to have taken an active part in
the massacre which he contrived in Cadiz, two
years ago.

" I can tell you nothing more of my travelling

h2

148 THE SIERRA MORENA.

companions at present, except that one of them
is a young man of very good family, whose re-
lations in Madrid and Granada I am already
acquainted with. I was warned against the
other, by the brothers M. and O., in Madrid.
He is a Comunero, and is supposed to be sent
on the affairs of that society, to Cordova and
Seville.

" I cannot yet form a correct opinion of the
relations between the Freemasons and Comu-
neros, but I am afraid our brothers are not on
the right road. But more of that hereafter.
I shall only stay here a few days, and then go
on with the same travelling companions to Mai-
rena, where a great fair is to be held shortly,
and where I have many acquaintances to me§t,
and affairs to despatch.

" In the mean time I have again adopted the
clerical dress, and have presented myself to the
bishop; but I unfortunately already foresee end-
less difficulties in obtaining my rehabilitation."

CHAPTER III.

CORDOVA.

On his arrival at Cordova, Antonio had asked in
the Posada, if there were any people there from
Benamexi. Benamexi, Antonio's birth-place, is
a small town between Antequera and Loja. The
inhabitants of it are known as the boldest con-
trabandists in all Andalusia and the neighbour-
ing provinces. The father or the elder brother
takes care usually of the affairs either in the
field or house, while the younger men carry on
smuggling and traffic, by bringing English
goods from Gibraltar.

The people of Benamexi are distinguished by
a showy exterior, rich clothing, and fine horses

150 CORDOVA.

and arms, proving themselves to be thorough
Andalusians and contrabandists ; and every one
thinks twice before he ventures to throw an ob-
stacle in their way.

" Eh ! certainly," answered the Padrona to
Antonio's question, as to whether there were any
persons at the Posada from Benamexi. — " Yes-
terday two of them came here ; the handsome
Esteban Lara was one ; but they dismounted
at the new Posada, because the best places in
my stable were already occupied, and those
gentlemen will not put up their horses anywhere

else."

Esteban was Antonio's brother, whom he had
left as a boy of sixteen ; he immediately went
to the Posada which was named in search of
him. On his inquiring after him, the Mozo
went in, and immediately after a young man
came out, with a look and bearing full of de-
fiance, as if he expected to meet with something
hostile. When he, on the contrary, saw a cler-
gyman before him, he said courteously, " I am

CORDOVA. 151

Esteban Lara, how can I be of service to you,
Caballero ?" The prevailing expression of Este-
ban's countenance was bold enjoyment of life,
and sturdy consciousness of his own strength,
created by the events of a kind of life full of
exertion and danger, and rapid changes of gain
and loss. His features, however, were very re-
gular; his head remarkably small ; and his large
eyes announced an ardour which might at every
moment break out into an open flame. The hue
of his countenance was dark brown, and his
hair jet black and hanging down in curly locks.
He was rather tall for an Andalusian, and his
whole frame indicated force, address, and tem-
perance, and was set off in the most advanta-
geous way by the rich dress of an Andalusian
Majo. His hair was tied up in a green net, — the
so called Redecilla, which was worn formerly
much more generally in Spain than it is at present.
He wore a short jacket of blue velvet, with a
great deal of silk lace, embroidery, and silver
tassels. A coloured silk handkerchief was

152 CORDOVA.

wound carelessly round his throat, but did
not entirely conceal his fine snow-white shirt,
with a broad frill. His close-fitting breeches of
fine brown cloth reached to his knee : about his
body he wore a Faja# of red silk: shoes and
gaiters of light-brown leather reaching up j ust
below the knee, and covered with embroidery,
completed the dress of the young Majo,f who
presented himself to Antonio as his brother.
Antonio perceiving that he was not recog-

* A peculiar kind of belt like a long bag, which
is wound ten or twelve times round the body; the
end, is then tucked in, and answers the purpose of a
purse.

f The expressions, Majo and Maja, like many others,
are difficult to translate and to explain, and we find no
analogous one in any other language. Majo and Maja, in
the first place, are used as adjectives, in the sense of well-
dressed, especially with the intention of pleasing ; for in-
stance, "Ay que maja estas nina!" — "Ah, how smart you
have made yourself, girl !" As a substantive, it denotes
amongst the lower classes, what we are accustomed to call
in higher society, a petit-maitre, or dandy. The majo is a
young man who is induced, by some motive or other, to try

CORDOVA. 153

nized, smilingly invited his brother to consider
whether he did not know him, and to look
attentively at him; but the latter said at last

to play a role in his class of society, and this partly through
his dress. It originated in Andalusia — how and at what
time we cannot pronounce, and is known under the name
of vestido de majo, or vestido Andaluz.

The majo himself also, is a genuine Andalusian produc-
tion, and is only to be found there in his perfection. But
clothing, and a handsome exterior, are not sufficient to
make our young man a majo; he must support and defend
his pretensions by all the bodily and mental advantages
which, according to the manners and kind of life of his
equals, give him consideration and influence amongst men,
and procure him the favour of the women. He must be a
first-rate rider and shot, but, above all things, he must
know how to manage the navaja and pufial, as well in
thrusting as in throwing. He must, if he be not indeed
himself a bull-fighter, at all events be able to appear with
honour on the Plaza de Toros. He must dance the fandango,
the matraca, and all other dances of the country, with the
greatest grace. He must play the guitar with ease, and not
only sing the most favourite airs to it, but also himself
improvise, either in the alternate songs of the Seguidilla, or
to the melody of the cartas dukes. But one of his most
important duties is gallantry to women, and his manners

h5

154

CORDOVA.

angrily, " Caballero, you are a clergyman,
and appear to be a stranger, otherwise you
would know that we of Benamexi do not

must be as obsequious to them, as they are provocative and
self-confident to men; at the same time that he never loses
sight of the laws of that politeness which one caballero owes
to another. But even with the ladies he maintains still a
certain negligent dignity, and nothing suits his character
less than the languishing behaviour of a coxcomb. He
must be in love over head and ears, or as coy as a roe ;
but he must not venture to trifle. It cannot be denied,
though, that there is a class of Majos, who assume, even to
women, a sort of unfeeling fierceness, and neither dance
nor sing, nor, in general, ever depart in the least from
their grim dignity. Liberality, even to profusion, espe-
cially when it is a question of pleasing his beloved, is an
indispensable quality in the Majo; as, also, is temperance
in eating and drinking; and in all except love and dress.
Stinginess, which the Spaniards call miseria, would dis-
honour him as much as drunkenness or effeminacy.

The majo always undertakes his own revenge for offences
and slights, on which account he is generally on a very
ticklish footing with the officers of justice; so that the
expression Mujo obtains also the additional meaning of a
bully. A few homicides, provided only they are not assas-
sinations, contribute essentially to raise his consideration.

CORDOVA. 155

understand jokes. If you wish anything of
me, speak ; if not, have the goodness to go
away, and leave me undisturbed." Hereupon,
a young girl, who had come to the door to see
what was going on, sprang forward wTith the ex-
clamation, " Jesus Maria ! it is our brother
Antonio!" and fell upon his neck, crying and

From what has been said, it follows that the Majos do
not form any distinct class. Every young man in whatever
way, in other respects, he may gain his livelihood, can
work himself up to the situation of a Majo, if he feels a
wish to do so, and is qualified for the calling; but it is easy
to see that the Majos are particularly to be found in that
class of men, whose employment has something adventur-
ous in it, and is at the same time profitable, such as smug-
glers, bull-fighters, robbers.

Altogether, one of these Majos is a peculiarly amusing
and characteristic personage ; for, besides those qualities
which are distinctive of him as a Majo, he possesses also
the wit and vapouring nonchalance of the Andalusian in
general.

His female counterpart, the Maja, is distinguished by
similar qualities, and he often finds in her a master and
mistress ; she even knows how to use the dagger against
a faithless lover or a rival.

156

CORDOVA.

praising all the saints. Esteban also, at length
recognised his brother, shook him cordially by
the hand, and in vain endeavoured to hide the
embarrassment he felt on account of his own
emotion by begging his sister to be more calm.
At last he said to her, " But Dolores, you for-
get entirely that our brother is a clergyman ;
what will people think?"

The girl stepped timidly back, and then knelt
down and begged Antonio's blessing. He raised
her up, kissed her on the forehead with heartfelt
emotion, and said, " God bless you, my child 1"
and after a pause added, "but how were you
able to recognise me again, Dolorcitas ? you
were scarcely six years old when you saw me
the last time."

" Ah ! brother," answered the maiden, " you
were always so good to me, much better than
Esteban, who was even then a wild youth. I
love him, notwithstanding," said she, coaxing-
ly, as Esteban threatened her with his finger ;

CORDOVA. 157

" and," she added, after a little time, in an
embarrassed manner, " I also dreamt last night
of Antonio, and saw him so distinctly, otherwise
I should, perhaps, not have known him again.
Ah ! Antonio, how old you are grown !" she
continued, after she had attentively considered
him. " It must have gone ill with you abroad
amongst the heretics."

" Not altogether so badly, my little sister,"
answered Antonio, smiling ; " but you have be-
come older also, and taller, and, in truth, very
pretty."

" Yes, by the Holy Sebastian of Alcobendas,
you are telling her a piece of news !" cried Este-
ban, laughing. " Our young fellows have al-
ready told her that years ago, and now we have
nothing but trouble with the girl."

Dolores smiling archly, and yet with embar-
rassment, played with the ends of her mantilla.

" And now Antonio is going to spoil her com-
pletely," continued Esteban. " How now, girl !

158 CORDOVA.

why do you stand there as if you could not
count five ? Go get us wine, and something to
eat with it."

Dolores was glad to get away from her bro-
ther's jests; so she made a curtsey, and went
into the house.

" But you are right," said Esteban to An-
tonio, when she was gone, as he invited him to
sit down on the stone bench, " she is the pret-
tiest girl in Andalusia, and therefore in the
whole world, and an angel to boot."

Esteban was fully in the right there, and we
should endeavour in vain to give the reader a
lively image of the lovely flower of Andalusia.
The Spanish women in general, and the Anda-
lusians especially, have such a peculiar grace in
their whole composition ; their faults, as well as
their virtues spring from a social, moral, and re-
ligious condition, which is so different from that
of other European countries — they arise and
bloom in this fruitful soil so completely without
particular care, without that which we call edu-

CORDOVA. 159

cation, that the stranger finds with difficulty a
standard for comparison, or expressions adapted
to describe the lovely and heterogeneous appear-
ance.

According to her brother's wish, Dolores had
sent out his servant with wine and refreshments,
and the two young men were just engaged in
an eager exchange of questions about parents,
friends, and relations, when she came again to
them, and asked permission of her brother to go
to the cathedral to mass, for which she had
hastily arranged her toilette.

Byron, who speaks like a connoisseur in the
matter, knew how to estimate properly the
Spanish female dress, and describes it by the
expression, " At the same time mystical and
gay." This effect arises partly from the con-
trast which the serious dark colours, and the
rigorous veiling, make with the distinctly marked
and voluptuous forms, the carriage of the body,
and the fire of the eyes. Whilst the closely
clinging basquina of dark violet silk betrays the

160

CORDOVA.

soft outlines of the body and limbs, the man-
tilla of some black light stuff, or sometimes of
white lace, falls gracefully down from the forehead
on the shoulders and back, at one moment half
concealing the face, at another moment, by a light
motion of the fan, giving way for the full beam
of the eyes.

" The veil
Thrown back a moment with the glancing hand,
While the o'erpowering eye, which turns you pale,
Flashes into the heart." *

The basqu iiia scarcely reaches further than to a
hand's-breadth above the ancles, and allows full
advantage to the prettiest of feet, such as are not
to be met with so generally any where but in An-
dalusia, and which are usually dressed in fine silk
stockings, and red, yellow, green, or violet shoes.

An indispensable requisite, also, for the Spanish
woman, when she is not engaged in household
or other affairs, is the fan (el abanico), which

* Don Juan.

CORDOVA. 161

she knows how to use in the prettiest manner,
and not seldom for telegraphic information and
hieroglyphics, which the fortunate man to whom
they are addressed knows well how to interpret.
Dolores was just sixteen years old; she was
rather small, even for an Andalusian, but made
in the most lovely symmetry of a blooming
maiden's form. The expression of her face was a
true mirror of her character : a curious mixture
of childish enjoyment of life, and unembarrassed
archness, with the seriousness which passion, or
rather the capability of passion gives, and which
showed itself especially on the forehead and in
a line round the mouth, which expressed not so
much grief which had been actually experienced
as the presentiment of its future endurance.
Her well-defined black eyebrows, arched grace-
fully over her dark -brown eyes, whose light was
usually softened and veiled by her drooping
eyelids and long silken lashes, but only to break
out on every occasion with more expressive and
dazzling splendour, like the sun from behind

162 CORDOVA.

clouds. For this kind of eye, which has some-
thing peculiarly indolent, and at the same time
roguish, the Spaniards use the expression (ojos
adormidillos), from the adjective (adormido)
sleepy ; to which the diminutive gives a mean-
ing it is impossible to translate.

Her rich dark brown hair was nearly covered
by the white mantilla, and a few roses com-
pleted her head-dress. Her complexion could
not, it is true, be compared with the lilies and
roses which the women of northern countries
boast of. It was rather brown, but without the
least appearance of sickliness, or of the influ-
ence of the air or sun. You might best compare
the glow in the cheek of an Andalusian, with
the brownish red of a peach ; but, even that is
not a good comparison.

"What! going already, sister?" said An-
tonio ; " I have not yet spoken ten words with
you, and to-morrow I am going away."

" So soon as to-morrow ?" said Esteban,
thoughtfully, " and you are going to Mairena ?

CORDOVA. 163

Listen, brother, — rather come with us this eve-
ning to Benamexi ; you will arrive at Mairena in
good time, and we shall still see something of
you ; for if we do meet in Mairena, there is so
much to do there, and then" —

Antonio interrupted him, by bringing forward
all kinds of reasons which must make him
decide upon going on with Ramon, and his
present travelling companions. At last Esteban
said, with some embarrassment, " Listen, brother ;
if you will not do it on our account, at least do
it for your own sake ; something unpleasant
might happen to you on the road."

Antonio looked in surprise at his brother, who
continued with some hesitation : — " I will ac-
knowledge to you that people know Ramon has
a rich cargo with him, and you will most likely
not get beyond Ecija without interruption."

Antonio expressed his astonishment at his
brother's knowing this so exactly, and blamed
him seriously on account of the connections in
which his illicit traffic engaged him, and brought

164

CORDOVA.

forward many well-meant and well-composed
phrases, against so unlawful and unquiet a way
of life.

Esteban at first was going to be angry, but he
said finally, laughing, " Look ye, brother, you
are very learned, and have travelled far and wide;
but keep your foreign wisdom to yourself. Why,
you have quite frightened Dolorcitas; she looks
at you with open eyes, as if you had spoken
Greek, and I really do not know what you
would be at. The Laras of Benamexi have
been contrabandists ever since the time of the
queen Maricastana, and no one ever thought
of finding fault with them for it. Do you
think we steal our goods? or do we cheat any
Christian soul with them ? If the revenue offi-
cers catch us we are punished, and the damage
falls on us. If we get through, it is our advan-
tage, and each party carries on its business
with honour. With the old watchers of the
frontier we could speak a reasonable word ; but
since these confounded milicianos put in their

CORDOVA. 165

yellow beaks every where, we must be in earnest
too. They use the same extraordinary phrases
from books as you do. It is they who have
ruined our poor cousin, Christoval Moreno ; and
who can find fault with him, if he is gone into
the mountains to revenge himself? and are not
the seven children of Ecija the best lads in
Spain, who need not be ashamed in presence of
an Emperor? Christoval was formerly half a
milksop, but now he has become a man. It
is a good thing, and a real honour for him that
they have adopted him."

Antonio, somewhat offended at the little effect
of the wisdom which he had introduced so mal-
a-propos, persisted in not allowing himself to be
deterred from his intention by such discourses;
and Esteban said at last, " Well, do as you like —
they will not eat you, and if any thing happens
only keep quiet."

Dolores, who had become evidently embar-
rassed when Christoval was named, slipped
behind Antonio, and said gently to him, u Chris-

166 CORDOVA.

toval will do nothing to you, poor youth ! Greet
him from me, if you see him, and give him this ;
he knows it well ; it is consecrated at the holy
figure at Jaen." At the same time she slid an
amulet, attached to a silken ribbon, into his
hand, such as are frequently worn in Spain by
the people.

In order to put an end to the conversation,
Antonio proposed to accompany his sister to
the cathedral. Esteban declined this proposal,
as he was obliged to depart the same night, and
Dolores set out alone with Antonio, walking
with childish joy and pride by the side of her
new found brother, the learned and far-travelled
ecclesiastic.

Some new phrase ought to be invented, ex-
pressive of the graceful walk of the fair Andalu-
sians. Byron says rightly —

"Their very walk would make your bosom swell :
I can't describe it, though so much it strikes ;
Nor liken it — I never saw the like —
An Arab horse, a stately stag, a barb :
No — none of these will do."

CORDOVA. 167

The brother and sister soon reached the ca-
thedral, and entered the so-called patio de las
naranjas, or court of oranges. This is one of
the places, the thought of which always remains
like a sunny spot in the remembrance of the
traveller, on which his fancy loves to refresh and
warm itself in the gloomy paths of life ; and
yet, that which constitutes its charm is little,
and that little of a simple character: —

A spacious quadrangular court, planted with
oranges, whose fragrance fills all the surround-
ing space; some clear and plashing springs,
with brilliant gold fish ; a few cypresses, and
some tall Palms, which wave their heads gently
at the breath of the wind. On two sides,
this space has covered walks, with graceful
Moorish arches ; on the third, a tower ; and
over the principal entrance, and along the sides,
steps leading up to a terrace. Lastly, on the
fourth side, the forest of pillars opens itself to
view, belonging to the mosque, converted into a
cathedral.

168 CORDOVA.

It might be difficult to vindicate the Moorish
style of architecture against the laws of ordinary-
architectural criticism ; but this much is certain,
that while the whole produces a peculiar and
heterogeneous effect, yet it is highly agreeable.
The number of the pillars of this cathedral is
about a thousand ; they are made of different sorts
of marble or granite, some smooth, some fluted,
and others with a sort of twisting ornament.
Their thickness does not exceed ten inches ; and
their heighth is about twenty feet. They sup-
port two rows of high-springing moorish (that
is to say horse-shoe) arches, one above the other,
so that in spite of the lowness of the pillars,
the ceiling, which is of rich inlaid wood- work,
is at least forty feet high.

In the walls round the quadrangular build-
ing are numerous chapels, chiefly adorned
with christian altars and pictures, the master-
pieces of Gespedes, Alonso Cano, Murillo, and
others. The walls of some of the chapels
however, are still covered with passages from

CORDOVA. 169

the Koran, put together in a sort of mosaic
of coloured pieces of glass, so that the charac-
ters develope themselves, as if accidentally,
from the midst of intricate arabesques and orna-
ments. The choir of the church, as well as
the high altar, was built in the fifteenth cen-
tury, and is in the Gothic style. It raises
itself considerably above the original Moorish
building, but destroys the view of the whole.
Equally detrimental to the general effect,
are a number of small chapels, built in the
spaces between the pillars. The most peculiar
point of view is that looking out on the court,
where rows of blooming fragrant orange-trees
appear like a continuation of the lines of pillars
of the church.

While Dolores prayed before the altar of her
patron saint, the Mater Dolorosa, Antonio went
into the court to wait for her. Here the sound
of joyful laughter met his ear, as if coming
towards him, and he soon perceived his travel-
ling companion, Rojas, approaching, in com-

VOL. I. I

170 CORDOVA.

pany with several young men, some of whom
wore the uniform of the National Militia of
Cordova, and appeared to be young artisans.
Rojas also had dressed himself to the best
advantage to do honour to his corps ; and,
whatever faults an old soldier might have
found with their military carriage, these
young Milicianos appeared very well satisfied
with themselves; and the glances of several
ladies who passed, proved that they also found
favour in their sight. On the other hand, some
ecclesiastics who were walking up and down in
couples, under the shade of the orange-trees,
and some elderly men, wrapped in their cloaks,
with their broad-brimmed hats slouched over
their faces, who sat on the benches around,
glanced at them grimly over their shoulders,
with no very gratified expression.

Antonio went up to the young men, and was
heartily welcomed by Rojas, and presented by
him to his friends. He made them a compliment
on the good constitutional spirit which seemed

CORDOVA. 171

to animate the youth of Cordova. One of them,
however, said, shrugging his shoulders, that " it
might be better ; eight hundred volunteers from
a town like Cordova is but little. But how
should it be otherwise, whilst your miserable
( moderate men' in Madrid, and their agents here
and elsewhere, do every thing to create a disgust
for the service."

" It appears, indeed," cried another, " as if
they were more afraid of us than of the Serviles;
but 'the pitcher goes to the water till it breaks,'
says Sancho Panza. When it comes to be
a question of blows, they will stand there
with their ' moderate' wisdom, like snow in
May."

?' Well," said the first, " things are going on
better at present notwithstanding ; for, do you
know, that when we assembled three months
ago, for our first military exercise, we were
exactly fifty in number, and the Serviles stood
by, in crowds, and laughed contemptuously at
us. Now, they let that alone."

i2

172 CORDOVA.

At this moment, a young officer, in the uniform
of the light cavalry regiment of Alcantara,
stepped up to them, shook his acquaintances by
the hand, and saluted the strangers politely.

"The Marquis of Penaflores, a liberal to
the back-bone," said one of the young men,
whilst he presented him to the strangers ; then,
turning towards him, he said, "Well, Don Luis,
what is the news ? Have you any commissions
for Mairena ?"

" Gentlemen," replied the officer, " I am
ordered there with twenty men : I am to keep
order at the fair, and first patrol on the high
road."

" A bad service," said one of the volunteers.
" You don't know that canaille yet, Don Luis ;
since you had that affair with the contrabandists
at Venta de Gualdiaro, they have an eye upon
you."

" That is certain," said another. " Do you
know that one of the volunteers of Marbella,
whom you took with you at that time, was shot

CORDOVA. 173

a week ago on the road to Malaga. I saw him
brought home myself, as I had just then busi-
ness at Marbella."

The officer thus addressed, said, laughing,
"That he did not think it would be so danger-
ous as they supposed, and went away in haste,
as he was to march the same evening."

Antonio was not sorry to hear that a measure
of this kind, for securing the road, was about to
be taken, for his brother's warning had left some
anxiety in his mind.

At this moment, Dolores came out of the
church, and ran up to her brother. She greeted
the company unaffectedly, and reminded Antonio
that Esteban was to wait for her. The young
men expressed the effect which the grace of the
maiden produced upon them, by their best salu-
tations and phrases. Rojas alone was so sur-
prised at the first moment, that, contrary to his
custom, he could find no words to make himself
remarked by the fair one. Dolores, however,
(by whom his embarrassment had not been unno-

174 CORDOVA.

ticed, any more than his agreeable exterior),
called out to him, smiling, and greeting with
her fan, "A good journey, caballero; I recom-
mend my brother to your care — he sometimes
forgets to eat and drink, from sheer learning."

It was not till roused by this address, that he
could attempt to answer with a well-turned jest;
but before he was ready with it, Antonio and his
sister had left the court of oranges.

While his comrades were debating with
Andalusian ardour, in hyperbolical expressions of
admiration, on the charms of the maiden ; Rojas
put his hand to his forehead thoughtfully, and
exclaimed at last somewhat moodily — " Keep
your Andalusian nonsense to yourself, for after
all, you cannot find the right word. But (added
he, half to himself) the devil take me if I fall in
love with the girl — that would be too bad" —
the young men then separated laughing.

Antonio in the meantime, had brought his
sister back to the Posada, where Esteban
awaited her in readiness for the journey. A

CORDOVA. 175

handsome horse with rich saddle and furniture,
and some laden mules with two servants stood
before the door. " Make haste, girl," he called
out to her, " you forget every thing with your
continual praying." Thus addressed, Dolores
ran in to make herself ready for the journey,
and returned after a few minutes (during
which Esteban had completed his prepara-
tions,) in a coarser dress, and with a small
bundle under her arm. With tears in her eyes
she took leave of Antonio, who in vain repre-
sented to her, that they should see each other
again in a few days at Mairena, whither Dolores
was to accompany her brother.

Esteban lifted his sister, half angrily and half
touched by her emotion, on the seat which he
had prepared for her, on the baggage of one of
the mules. He pressed his brother's hand with
a cordial " hasta la vista" — and springing into
his saddle, rode after the mules.

176 ATTACK OF THE

CHAPTER IV.

THE ATTACK OF THE CHILDREN OF ECIJA.

he next morning Ramon also continued his
journey with his travellers, to whom he had
added some new ones, while Vallezo remained
behind in Cordova.

The road soon led them out of the fertile
valley of the Guadalquivir, through the decayed
colonies of La Carlota, over monotonous hills,
some bare, and some covered with olive planta-
tions, to the large city of Ecija, on the Genii
where they remained the night, — highly grati-
fied at having passed unmolested through a
neighbourhood which has so bad a reputation.

The following morning they broke up at a

CHILDREN OF ECIJA. 177

very early hour, in order to reach Carmona.
The experienced Mayoral did not yet entirely
trust to the security of the country, and had
placed his caravan in a sort of order of battle,
without allowing himself to be disturbed by
Rojas's jokes. Two of his people went on about
fifty paces in front of the train, and four others
at the same distance on both sides; — and all
the travellers were obliged to load their arms
afresh, and to hold themselves on the alert, so
that, Rojas said laughing, "Now, father Ramon,
in this way we might engage with the seven
children of Lara * themselves ! I think the
seven children of Ecija had need be frightened
at us rather than we at them."

* Los siete infantes de Lara, celebrated in the popular
poetry of the Spaniards, where they, in some degree, play
the part of the children of Heiraon. Betrayed by their
uncle, Ruy Velasquez, they fell fighting against the Moors
of Cordova. A small hill, two leagues from Cordova, is
shewn by the muleteers as the place. Donde murieron
los siete infantes de Lara. Their brother, the bastard
Madarra, revenged their death.

i 5

178 ATTACK OF THE

For the first two miles the road leads through
a hilly neighbourhood, here and there broken
up by ravines, and covered with wood, which
would certainly have facilitated an attack on
the recua or caravan. But at last the wide
plain spread itself out before the travellers, in
the middle of which rises the isolated cone, the
top of which is crowned by the ancient city of
Carmona, with its old walls and towers, formerly
considered impregnable. This plain is almost
entirely bare of trees, and is covered with a low
shrub, scarcely a foot and a half high, the dwarf
palm, bearing in miniature great resemblance to
the Fan Palm, and is called the Palmita.

When the travellers had reached this plain,
even Ramon thought there was nothing farther
to be afraid of; and they went on, if not entirely
without, care, yet very much tranquillized; —
and they soon drew near to a solitary Cortijo
which is about two leagues from Carmona, and
lies some paces from the road in the middle of
a small olive wood.

CHILDREN OF EC1JA. 179

They had not yet reached the farm when
suddenly a horseman galloped out from the
wood, and stopping at a small distance from
them, shouted out a thundering "halt !"

" Now the devil is loose ! Those are the
children" — muttered the Mayoral, without how-
ever in the least losing his calm self-possession.
" What is the matter, Caballero ?" cried he
to the, horseman — " what are your orders?"

" Father Ramon, give us and yourselves no
unnecessary trouble. You have about ten
ounces in gold with you, and the value of four
hundred ounces in goods. Give us eight
ounces down and an order for a hundred
ounces, on your merchant in Seville, and you
may go your way. These gentlemen travellers
will also have no objection to contribute a trifle."
These last had time meanwhile to view the
speaker more closely. He wore the dress of the
Andalusian Majos, and rode an excellent horse,
with richly ornamented furniture. The saddle
was very high, both before and behind, and re-

180 ATTACK OF THE

sembled also from the short stirrups, the Turkish
saddles. A green fly-net covered the whole
body of the horse. The horseman carried in
his hand a very long firelock — at his saddle
hung a so called trabuco, or musketoon — a
cartridge pouch, (cartuchera) of coloured em-
broidered leather, which he wore buckled round
his body, contained about fifty cartridges, well
preserved in leaden cases, which were fastened
in two rows one above the other.

Ramon made a very doubtful face at this
friendly proposition, and replied at last — " You
are very polite, Caballero, but you cannot expect
a dozen Castilians to surrender to you alone — I
am in truth no friend to a scuffle. Only prove
that we may surrender with honour, and not
a shot shall be fired on our side. How many of
you are there ?" he continued, — but before the
horseman could answer, Rojas, who was not at
all pleased with these negotiations, fired his
musket at him, but without effect.

" Confounded folly ! — by the sacred Lady

CHILDREN OF ECIJA.

181

of Covodenga!" said the Mayoral. "Now
boys, we must fight it out as well as we can."

The horseman, however, turned his horse,
calling out at the same time jeeringly,— " a
miserable shot! but Carajo ! I will pay you
better than you deserve, young gentleman."

He then galloped away about a hundred paces,
and stopping, (while his horse stood as firm as
a wall) he discharged his long firelock. Rojas
sank to the ground with a hearty — " Cursed be
the she-goat that bore you !" The ball had gone
through his thi°-h : — at the same time some shots
were fired, which laid two muleteers wounded on
the ground, and four more horsemen galloped
out of the wood. One of them called out as he
loaded his piece again — " Por vida de Dios,
I will teach you to respect the children of
Ecija !"

Shots were now exchanged on both sides, but
the arms of the muleteers and travellers were
not in the best condition, and generally did not
carry so far as those of the attacking party.

182 ATTACK OF THE

Perhaps also the best of them were far from
being good shots ; and what was worst of all,
they were disturbed in their defence by their
care for the mules, which ran in confusion one
against the other. The robbers on the other
hand fired with certainty from a considerable
distance, and galloped, after every shot," across
the field, in order to load quietly, completely
out of reach of their antagonists. But they did
not seem very anxious to destroy their oppo-
nents, and their fire appeared to be directed
more at the mules than at the men. After some
minutes, however, four muleteers were lying on
the ground, one dead, and the others more or
less severely wounded, and several mules were
rolling themselves in the dust, or were running
about wounded, throwing off their loads.

At last one of the horsemen galloped up nearer
to them, and called with a rough voice, " Down
with you, in the devil's name ; your faces to
the ground ; I did not think you were so

CHILDREN OF ECIJA. 183

childish ! Ramon ! Down to the earth — whoever
values his life ! "

Ramon himself and the greater part of his
people made ready to obey the order; but
Antonio, who, in the confusion, perhaps did not
observe it, snatched a firelock from the hand of
one of the wounded men, and fired at the horse-
man, whose horse fell to the ground under him
severely wounded.

This small advantage, however, could have
no influence on the issue of the conflict,
but might possibly make the lot of the con-
quered more severe. The muleteers, and the
travellers following their example, had thrown
away their arms, and laid themselves down flat
with their faces to the ground, and it was only
when too- late that Antonio became aware, how
great a danger he had uselessly exposed him-
self to. The robbers now galloped down upon
them, and while one with his piece cocked
guarded their disarmed antagonists, with the

184 ATTACK OF THE

threat that he would shoot the first man who
made the slightest movement, the others began
to plunder the travellers and to examine the
lading of the mules.

But the leader, injured by his fall, and en-
raged to the greatest degree by the loss of his
horse, and the useless resistance, rushed upon
Antonio with his dagger drawn, uttering the
wildest curses, and intending to stab him forth-
with. One of the robbers, however — the same
who had first hailed the caravan — held him back,
saying, " Let him pray first, Pedro, it is a priest !"

"The dog!" said the other, raging; "and if
it was the holy Father of Rome himself, he
must pay me for my horse with his life — the
best horse that ever chewed barley since the
time of the Cid's Babieca."

Then striking Antonio, who stood expecting
his death, down to the ground, with the butt
of his carbine, he said to him — "Pray your
last Ave Maria — Carajo ! for die you must. —
Christoval!" he said now to the first robber,

CHILDREN OF ECU A. 185

" which of the dogs was it that fired the first
shot? — drag him here, — tie them both to the
nearest tree and shoot them."

The robbers prepared to fulfil the order ; but
at the name of Christoval, Antonio suddenly
recollected his sister's commission. He could
not doubt that the robber who had already
taken his part, was his cousin Christoval. . Even
the exterior of the- young man inspired him
with confidence. The expression of violence
which the circumstances of the moment gave
him, appeared to be strange to his features,
which had an air of mildness and melancholy.
Christoval was smaller than Esteban, and
seemed more active than strong. His eyes
and hair were light brown, which is considered
a great beauty in Andalusia.

Meanwhile, two robbers had bound the bleed-
ing and almost senseless Rojas to a tree, and
seemed the less inclined to spare him, when
they recognized him by his cap as a Miliciano ;
— they were just on the point also of seizing

186 ATTACK OF THE

Antonio, when he cried out to his cousin, at
the same time handing him the present of his
sister — " Christoval Moreno, do you know
this ?"

Christoval snatched it from his hand, and
exclaimed, " How did you come by this ? who
are you?"

" My sister gave it me for you, and bid me
greet you. I am your cousin Antonio Lara,
save us if it is in your power !"

Christoval had sprung up to him at the first
word, and dragging back his two comrades, he
said, as he drew his knife, " By the holy
Mother of God ! not a hair of your head shall
be touched. Whoever touches him will have
to settle with me."

The leader of the robbers, enraged at this
unexpected interference, called to him, at the
same time that he prepared to use force: "Back,
Christoval, he must die even if he were your
own brother."

At this moment the cry resounded, " In the

CHILDREN OF ECU A. 187

name of the king, and the Constitution, deliver
yourselves ! Long live Riego ! at them, chil-
dren !" and a troop of horsemen galloped on
from behind the olive-wood, which had con-
cealed their approach from the eyes of the
travellers.

The robbers were so completely surprised,
that they had no time to fire a shot ; and as
they were not armed for close combat, and
their adversaries were far superior to them in
number, there could be no question of resis-
tance. Two of them were immediately cut
down ; and a third gave himself up as prisoner.
Christoval and another robber sprang on their
horses, and galloped off, pursued by half a
dozen horsemen; while Pedro, the leader, suc-
ceeded in gaining the house, to which they had
been approaching during the foregoing scene,
and barricadoed the doors behind him.

"Surround the houses ! don't let him escape !"
cried the leader of the horsemen : and some of
his men ran immediately round the house and

188 ATTACK OF THE

the little court, and beset all the outlets by
which the robber might have escaped.

But through this arrangement, precisely what
the robber might have expected, came to pass; —
that the officer, who, in the mean time had got
off his horse, remained standing alone before the
principal entrance. His summons to the rob-
ber to surrender was only answered by a con-
temptuous laugh, and immediately after the
door flew open, and the robber, with his cocked
musketoon in his hand, called out to the officer,
" Back, young man, or I'll shoot you to rags,
so that people will look for you in all the stars.
Back ! I have compassion on you."

The situation of the marquis was critical, as
he was only armed with a sabre, and the fear-
ful weapon of his antagonist really must, when
so close, shiver him into pieces. But without
hesitating he rushed in upon his antagonist, with
the cry, " Long live Riego !" The other pulled
the trigger; the pan flashed; but the gun

CHILDREN OF ECIJA. 189

missed fire, and Pedro fell to the earth, with
his head cleft in two.

Antonio had in the mean time unbound his
travelling companion, and litters made of planks
and poles, which were found in the house, the
inhabitants of which did not appear, were got
readv for him and the wounded muleteers,
after their wounds had been bound up as well
as circumstances would admit. While Ramon
and his people, assisted by the travellers, col-
lected the dispersed mules, and their loads, they
were joined by the officer who had rescued
them, whom they received with cordial thanks.
Antonio immediately recognised him as the
young man who had been introduced to him
two evenings before, as the Marquis of Pen-
aflores, and the latter expressed to him in the
warmest manner, his satisfaction at having been
through accident useful to him and Rojas.

The latter was taken care of with the greatest
attention. A draught of wine from a leathern
skin, which one of the horsemen carried at his

190

ATTACK OF THE

saddle, soon brought the wounded man (whom
loss of blood had exhausted) again to himself,
and he appeared disposed to consider the whole
adventure as very amusing. But the grief of
old Ramon, which was the more affecting that
it did not show itself in loud complaints, but
only in broken expressions ; and the sight also
of the wounded muleteers produced in him
wholesome reflections ; since he could not con-
ceal from himself, that he was in great measure
the cause of the misfortune.

In the mean time some country people had
arrived from the neighbouring cortijos, and
began, at the request of the officer, to dig a
grave at the side of the road, to inter the
bodies of the robbers who had been slain,
When the body of Pedro, the captain, was
brought up, they looked at it, not without a
secret fear, and appeared to compare the
powerful frame and wild features of the man,
(who had been for many years the terror of the
neighbourhood, and whose name was men-

CHILDREN OF ECIJA. 191

tioned in all Spain with that of the celebrated
Jayme Alfonso,) with the appearance of his
conqueror, whose extreme youth, slight form,
and blooming countenance gave him the air of
a girl in disguise.

An old peasant who was looking on, said,
shaking his head, "Yet, he was a fine fellow —
that Pedro Gomez — who would believe it! —
well ! God be merciful to his soul !"

The bodies were lowered into the pit, — the
by-standers repeated a short prayer, and soon
the hillock of a grave was raised over the
dead.

Ramon, in the mean time, with the aid of the
old peasant, had put together as well as he could
in his hurry, three crosses of light laths. " For,"
said he, " after all, they are Christians, and we
will not bury them like dogs." On one of the
crosses he scratched the dreaded name of Pedro
Gomez, and under it the usual inscription, in
such cases:*" " He died by a violent hand, pray

* " Murio de mano ayrada — Ituegen por el alma," is the

192 ATTACK OF THE

for his soul." And still do three crosses denote
the place to the traveller where the children of
Ecija lie buried.

Scarcely was all this completed, when
the horsemen returned after a fruitless pur-
suit of Christoval. " The devil may catch
that fellow if he can ; and if he is not the devil
himself/' said an old quartermaster. " No
christian goes at that rate, and no reasonable
horse."

The train now got slowly into motion. The
wounded men were carried by some of the
horsemen ; as was also the body of the mule-
teer who had been shot, which Ramon wished
to bury in a regular manner. The cargoes of
the dead or wounded mules were brought
into the house, and left behind in the care of
two horsemen, till Ramon could send for them.
The officer wished to pay the peasants for their
trouble, but the old man refused indignantly to

inscription on the crosses, which one too frequently sees
by the road-side in Spain.

CHILDREN OF ECIJA. 193

take any thing, and called out to the young-
man as he rode away. " God be with you,
young gentleman. Get out of this neighbour-
hood as quickly as you can — the sooner the
better. Blood will have blood !"

At sunset the train reached Carmona, where
Ramon was forced to remain, at all events for
some days. Rojas met with the greatest sym-
pathy from the young men of the national
militia of Carmona, and was received in the
house of one of them, to await the cure of his
wound, which was in no way dangerous. The
rest of the wounded men found a reception, and
the care they required in a convent ; and An-
tonio accepted the proposal of the young offi-
cer, to continue the journey to Mairena the
next day in his company, and there we shall
a^ain meet him.

VOL. I. K

194 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

CHAPTER V.

THE FAIR OF MAIRENA.

The great fair for cattle which takes place at
the village of Mairena four leagues from Seville,
every spring, is celebrated throughout Spain.
People of all conditions crowd there from the
provinces during the three days of its duration.
There were present, on this occasion, many
buyers and sellers of the herds of oxen, horses,
mules, and sheep, brought to the fair ; but the
throng principally consisted of the curious, who
are attracted by the sight, and its attendant
amusements.

Those who had business to transact were

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 195

assembled on an open space outside the village.
They watched in separate groups, the droves of
mules which, tied together in long lines, awaited
a purchaser; while the lamentable falling off
in the breed of horses, which has been occasioned
by favouring that of mules, was made apparent
by the small number offered for sale. Yet the
goodness and beauty of the Andalusian steeds
seemed to make up for their small number.
The noble animals expressed by snorting and
pawing, their dislike to their mongrel neigh-
bours, and seemed with joyful neighing, to
summon the rider who should venture to master
them.

On all the neighbouring fields, and along the
road, crowds of the curious were circulating.
Light booths were erected on all sides, from
which resounded the shrill cries of the water-
carriers, and sellers of oranges. A hastily
erected amphitheatre for bullfights could not
be wanting on such an occasion, and from
time to time, the shouts of those who had

k 2

196 FAIR OF MAIRENA,

been lucky enough to get a place in it, were
heard above the din of the fair, celebrating
some bold thrust of the Matador, or suc-
cessful assault of the bull. But we should in
vain endeavour to give the reader a sufficient
idea of the many-coloured throng which moved
this way and that, under the dark blue cloud-
less Andalusian sky, and we therefore content
ourselves with bringing before him a single
group, in which perhaps, he may recognize
figures already known. In the vicinity of the
chief place of rendezvous for men and cattle,
in a small field fenced off, and protected from
the crowd by a hedge of aloes, of the height
of a man, and by blooming Cactuses, a spa-
cious booth was erected under the shade of
some palms, made of the light but firm
stalks of the aloe, and covered with party-
coloured plaited mats of the Esparto. In the
back ground of the booth, all sorts of sugar
ornaments and some small bottles of liqueur
were ranged upon a long table. On a bench at

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 197

one side, lay several goatskins bursting with
wine, which appeared to stretch out longingly on
all fours towards their thirsting friends. Against
the back wall of the booth, coloured ribbons
and handkerchiefs, images of saints, rosaries,
rings, needles, and other gold and silver
ornaments, were laid out in boxes for sale.
The proprietor and seller of all these splendid
articles was known at the first glance, by his
respectable dress (which was not however of
the town fashion,) and by a certain dignity with
which he waited upon his guests, and acquain-
tances. His features notwithstanding had
something of unpleasant vulgarity in them :
an expression of avarice, of narrow-hearted
care and distrust. His son assisted him in his
business, and seemed in calculating economy
to be a worthy follower of his father.

Several groups had arranged themselves
partly in this booth itself, partly in the shade
of the trees, or of the high aloes, from whence
they could conveniently overlook the whole

198 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

scene of the fair. They were whiling away
their time with conversation and wine, and a
few of them with cards and dice.

On one side of the entrance to this enclosed
space was a small shed of mats, under which
were to be seen on a table, divers earthen
jugs of a pretty form, encircled with leaves and
flowers.

The group, however, which passed round this
little booth, had manifestly not merely the
intention of enjoying the ice and lemonade,
and iced water which the jugs contained, but
were equally attracted by the person who dis-
tributed these refreshments. Behind the table, in
graceful and negligent occupation, sat a young
girl, whose peculiar sharp features, and a certain
expression of timid wildness in her large and
glowing eye, but especially her dark olive-brown
complexion, which evidently was not of European
origin, denoted her to the connoisseur to be a
gipsy. The dark colour of the girl's complexion

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 199

contrasted agreeably against her white close-
made gown and her mantilla of the same colour ;
whilst a pair of deep red pinks placed in her raven
hair completed her dress. Thus sat the young
gipsy, extolling with a clear voice her cooling
drinks, often also inviting the passers by with
lively songs, or answering, with sharp and ready
wit and saucy archness, the jokes and flatteries
of the young men who crowded round her.

At a separate table in the booth, some elderly
men were sitting in eager conversation, while
before them stood a glass jug of wine with a
long spout, which first one, and then the other,
took, and holding it high in the air, poured the
red stream down their throats into the gulf
below. We recognise immediately one of these
men, who wears the dress of the secular clergy,
as Antonio Lara, who was waiting for his
brother's arrival. The rest, one might conclude
from their simple brown clothing, to be sub-
stantial peasants from La Mancha. One of

200 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

them, in the dress of the town, gave out, in the
course of conversation, that he was a mercan-
tile man from Figueras in Catalonia.

" Believe me, gentlemen," said the Cata-
lonian, " it is not as it should be — you must
know better than I do, how things are going on
here — but how they go on in Madrid has been
sufficiently proved by what took place not long
ago in Aranjuez. It cannot continue any
longer; the freemasons and the ministers betray
us to the Serviles. But" — he continued, strik-
ing the table, " Cap de deu ! if they would
only let us take our own line, the volunteers of
Barcelona by themselves would be sufficient to
settle that canaille."

" Well," said Antonio, "but according to the
official reports, tranquillity seems to be pretty
nearly restored in Ampurdan and Cerdana."

" Yes, believe the reports if you choose,"
continued the vehement Catalonian, " only wait
four months more, till the pasty comes out of
the oven, and then digest it if you can."

FAIR OF MA1RENA. 201

" Yes — the reports," said one of the farmers
— " official do you call them, Senor Catalan? —
One does not know in them whether they mean
yes or no, black or white. You liberals have

learned those phrases also from the French —
but from such dust comes such mud."*

"What!" broke forth the Catalonian —
" What have you to say against the liberals, or
against the constitution?"

" Nothing in the world," said the farmer
quietly — " It may be a very good thing, but we
don't understand any of those foreign con-
cerns— do not be angry, Caballero, but tell us
rather something new from the kingdom. "f

"Only look out there," said the trader —
" there you may see something new from the
kingdom already ! "

* De tales polvos, tales bodos, a common proverbial
phrase.

f The inhabitants from the Provinces of the towns of
Castile, call Valencia, Catalonia, and Arragon simply El
Reyno.

k5

202

FAIR OF MAIRENA.

The men looked towards the fair, where a
train of fifty horses was just being led past,
which, from their size and strength, appeared
to have been judiciously and carefully se-
lected. They were led by some men whose
dress and appearance showed them to be in-
habitants of the mountains of Catalonia. They
wore long loose trowsers of striped ticking, and
a short jacket of the same, which, however,
some of them had only hung upon their
shoulders. The covering of their head was a
cap of red wool hanging down as low as the
back. They wore on their naked feet the
so-called alpargatas, a kind of plaited sandal,
which only covered the extreme points of their
toes, and the heels and soles. These men were
for the most part nearly blond, with sun-burnt
and almost red faces, and gray or blue eyes,
which had a peculiar expression of wildness.
The leader of the train, who was distinguished
by better clothing, by a loose brown cloak, and a
hat with a broad brim, and high conical crown,

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 203

came into the booth, looking about him with a
distrustful air, and after he had emptied a large
glass of brandy at one draught, he threw the
Montanes* his money, and went again to his
people without saluting any body.

"Cursed be your race — Catalonian drunkard !"
Such and similar expressions were muttered
after the man by the bystanders, who were
mostly Andalusians, as he went away with his
men and horses, without making any answer,
but by angry glances at them.

" Now, you have seen what there is new,"
said the Catalonian, addressing himself to
Antonio and the countryman.

"What do you mean?" said Antonio, who
saw nothing extraordinary in the appearance of
a Catalonian horse-dealer at the fair of Mairena.

" Mean ! — Cap de deu ! " cried the other in

* The wine-sellers of Andalusia are mostly, from the so-
called Montana of Asturia and old Castile, and are called
simply Montanoses; as, in many places, the sugar-bakeis
are called the Swiss.

204 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

reply — " do you know who it was who went
away just now? That was Jeps del Estanys,
who has already the death of more liberals on
his soul than buttons on his coat; ask about
him in Ampurdan and Cervera. A comrade of
Moses Auton Coll, of Miralles, and Misas. How
many thousand piastres worth of horses from
Catalonia do you think have been sold yester-
day and to-day? — why, the place swarmed with
red caps ! "

"But," (objected Antonio) "if these horses
were intended for the army of the faith in your
mountains, why has your Jeps exactly chosen
out the strongest and heaviest for sale?"

" Why," replied the other laughing" — "why,
sir, precisely because the army wants to come
down into the plain. Have I not seen with my
own eyes helmets, and cuirasses, forged for a
whole regiment of cuirassiers? And who do
you suppose pays for them? The venerable
gentlemen, to be sure, of Monserrat and Cam-
predon. It is a pleasure to see how the French

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 205

officers and Banquers, and all those clever gen-
tlemen, hang together with our cowls."

A noise in the market-place interrupted the
speaker, and drew the attention of the company
on that side. A bold horseman was managing
a powerful black steed, which, as it proved, he
had thoughts of buying. He seemed to take
pleasure in the wild bounds of the animal, who
summoned his last efforts to dispute the mas-
tery with him. Soon, however, the horse felt
that he had found his master, and at last stood
still, trembling, snorting, and covered with
foam, at the voice of his rider, who sprang out
of the saddle ; and after he had paid the price
demanded, and given the horse to a servant to
hold, came into the booth in order to refresh
himself with a draught of wine.

He was a remarkably strong man, with red-
dish hair, and a thick beard, an open glance,
and strongly marked features. He was partly
in a town dress, but he wore a short velvet
jacket, and a hat with a broad brim. His com-

206 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

panions were, from their dress and language,
Valencians. They wore their hair in nets, under
broad brimmed hats with high crowns ; they had
short jackets of blue or green stuff, with a great
quantity of lace, broad sashes (faj as) of red or blue
silk, and trowsers of white linen, ending above
the knee, but so loose, and with so many folds,
that one might take them for short plaited
petticoats. Their legs were covered with a sort
of blue stockings, which, however, only began
above the ankle, and ended under the knee, so
that the knees and feet remained naked, In-
stead of shoes they wore sandals (alpargatas),
and a woollen blanket of the gaudiest and
brightest colours, was thrown carelessly over
their shoulders. This serves them either to
protect themselves from cold and rain, instead
of a cloak, or it is spread out on the ground in
order to sit or lie upon it. It is to the Valen-
cian what the cloak is to the Castilian — house
and court. The new comers greeted the com-
pany politely ; and Antonio was struck by the

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 207

peculiarly noble carriage of the horseman. He
desired some of the best wine, drank to the
health of his companions, and after they had
refreshed themselves, he paid, and, saluting the
bystanders, went out again into the fair.

The Catalonian had whispered significantly to
Antonio, when he entered. " Look, that is Don
Bernardino Malfy from Valencia; he is not
here for nothing, you may be sure."

Antonio inquired, " who is then this Don
Bernardino Malfy ? I never heard of him."

" Then your road never can have led you near
the kingdom of Valencia. The gentleman you
saw just now, is known and feared in the whole
country : he is talked of as far away as Castelion
de la Plana, and Reuss. He is one of the
richest land-owners, and captain in the cuiras-
sier regiment — of Queen Amelia. Two years ago
he was attacked by robbers at his country
house near Valencia ; he escaped with great
difficulty in his shirt through a back entrance,
but his house was completely plundered and set

208 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

on fire. This affair vexed the good man so
much, that since that time, lie pursues without
intermission, and on his own account, all the
robbers and other vagabonds in the kingdom of
Valencia. The government is glad to let him
take his own way, and rejoices that some one
undertakes the business. If he desires it, troops
and every kind of support are granted to him.
But he does not trouble himself about that: —
from his regiment, and from amongst the coun-
try people, all of whom he knows intimately,
he has chosen a few efficient fellows. He
pays spies everywhere, and wherever suspicious
characters appear, he is upon them before they
dream of it. He has killed with his own hand
full a dozen of the boldest and most dreaded of
the robbers, and they now fear him so much
that you may travel with a bag full of money in
your hand through the whole kingdom, without
a hair of your head being hurt. He caused all
the plunder which he took from the robbers,
(and it was enough to make him rich) to be ad-

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 209

vertised in the papers, in order that the owners
might declare themselves, and people have thus
recovered things, which they had long ceased to
think of. Yes, Caballeros," concluded the
narrator, " Don Bernardino has done as much
in three years as Elio, who called himself king
of Valencia, did in six."

" A brave gentleman !" cried the country peo-
ple— " one would think he was a Castilian, for
who would believe so much good of a Va-
lencian ? You know, no doubt, what the pro-
verb says of Valencia. ' The meat is grass ; the
grass water, the men women, and the women
nothing at all.' "

The Catalonian now stood up, greeted the
company, paid his reckoning, and went away.

" You snatch in your money, Montanes, as if
you were gulping a draught of rhubarb," said
Antonio to the master of the booth. " Yet you
must have plenty of it."

" Well," said the other crabbedly, " and if I
do not starve at the business, it is hard that an

210 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

Asturian of old nobility, and still older Chris-
tianity, one who has had the honour of serving
under the butler of his excellency the Duke
of Villahermosa — that I should wait upon
this canaille, of which the greater part have
more Moorish than Christian blood in their
veins."

" Well, well," said Antonio, laughing, " you
make them pay dear enough for the honour, I
dare say, and if they only drink your wine and
pay for it, you need not mind the colour of their
blood."

" Yes, drink and pay," replied the Montafies,
" if they did drink it ! but if the Arragonese, the
Catalonians, and other old Christians from the
other side of the Sierra Morena did not drink it,
I might drink my Valdepenas, my Yepes, and
Peroximenez, myself. Such wines ! that you
could not find better in the cellar of his ex-
cellency the Duke of Villahermosa himself-
Only look yourself, and see how the Andalusian

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 211

coxcombs stand round the witch there, the
gipsy, with their mouths open, and gape at her
black eyes, instead of setting themselves down
here like honest men, to a good draught of wine
and some rational conversation like yourselves
Caballeros ! — Such fellows as those never pour
anything down their throats but water, and
never chew any thing but a cigar !"

The two countrymen also, who had hitherto
given Antonio their society, now broke up,
and he remained alone, looking out impatiently
to see whether his brother was coming. Mean-
time, in the small booth of the gipsy things
were going on more and more gaily, and
loud bursts of laughter accompanied the repar-
tees, which each young man in his turn received
from the coy wench.

" Ha, Gitanilla !" with a languishing glance,
said a young student, whose black gown and
high hat distinguished him amongst the crowd
— while he asked for a glass of water — "Gita-

212 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

nilla, what use is it to me, that your little hand
reaches me this cold water, whilst your eyes
scorch my heart and brain ?"

" Eh, what a pity !" said the girl mockingly;
" but is it my fault, Sir Licenciado, if the straw
in your head catches fire so easily ?"

Whilst the young son of the muses in vain
thought of some answer, which should be
worthy of him, the girl repeated with a clear
voice the Seguidilla, which her unhappy adorer
had interrupted.

Suddenly, however, she cried, " Look there,
children! there comes one whom you are not
worthy to hand water to ! — you run after me,
and I after him ! Welcome Esteban ! charm
of my heart ! pink of my soul !" cried the wild
girl, springing up to a young man, who came
galloping towards her on a fiery Andalusian
horse, and pulled up before her booth. Behind
him sat, with graceful confidence, a girl, whose
face was covered by her mantilla.

The rider, who was Esteban Lara, jumped

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 213

lightly from the saddle, lifted the maiden care-
fully down, and said soothingly to her, " Be
calm, sister, there is Antonio."

The gipsy wanted to stop him with a jest,
but he motioned her back rather sharply, " Let
me alone at present, Paca, I have other things
to do."

The gipsy tried to keep her jesting tone,
and said, "Well ! only not so rudely — for me
you can."

But her eye flashed fire, and suddenly carried
away by her passion, she cried with half-choked
voice, looking at the veiled Dolores with a
threatening glance, " But you shall not have
him ! cursed be the mother that bore you !"
and immediately drawing out a small knife, she
seemed about to fulfil her threat, when Esteban
remarked her motions, and said, grasping
her arm at the same time — "You are a fool,
Paquita ! it is my sister Dolores — only be quiet
and I will come by-and-bye to you."

Dolores had retreated a step or two at the

214 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

threatening movements of Paquita, and had
thrown back her mantilla, while she gazed at
the girl half frightened, and half astonished.

No sooner had Paquita beheld the features
of her supposed rival, and heard Esteban's
words, than she ran weeping towards Dolores,
and said, covering her hand with kisses — " Ah,
Seiiorita, forgive me for the sake of the Holy
Virgin of Guadaloupe — you are, no doubt, as
good as you are handsome, and you will pardon
a poor girl, who becomes a fool on account of
her wicked companions."

Dolores, did not know for the moment what
to do, but to kiss the girl on her mouth, and to
assure her of her forgiveness; but Esteban put
an end to her embarrassment, by saying, "Come,
sister; — we shall meet again Paquita;" at the
same time he moved quickly towards the booth,
whither Dolores followed him.

The surrounding people willingly made room
for them both, partly because Esteban was
known, partly from civility to his sister. Be-

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 215

hind her back they expressed, in the liveliest
manner, the impression which Dolores' beauty
had made upon them — " God bless the mother
that gave you birth ! " — " The Holy Virgin
bless your black eyes, my queen ! " — "Ha ! by the
life of God, what a walk ! " — " Long live the An-
dalusian salt."* Such, and similar exclama-
tions, resounded behind Dolores, whilst Paquita
drying her tears, made herself again ready for
action, to repel all the attacks which now
broke in upon her from every side.

* Sal; — Salero; are very usual terms in Andalusia, applied
to female grace and charms. For instance, Salero del alma
— salt-cellar of my soul — tiene mucha sal — est muy salada
— she has a great deal of salt. Such expressions, indeed,
are difficult to translate, and are only understood when
one has heard their application. The words, Taleo, Zan-
dunga, belong to the same class, but can be understood ex-
clusively in Andalusia, since the thing itself, this peculiar
grace of the Andalusian women, is not met with anywhere
else. Even the word, gratia, is not to be translated; it is
not only grace, but the idea of roguish wit is joined with it.
La gracia Andaluz, is proverbial in Spain, and the Spaniards
say of the beauties of the north — son bonitas, pero no tienen
gracia — they are pretty, but they have no gracia.

216 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

Antonio, who had been conversing with the
Montanes exactly at the moment when Es-
teban arrived, remarked their entrance, and
ran to meet them. Dolores rushed into his
arms, exclaiming with joy, " Praised be the
Holy Mother of God — at least you are saved ! "
Esteban shook his brother's hand and said,
" The poor girl ! she has cried and prayed
enough on your account. It was said an
ecclesiastic had been shot. You should have
followed my advice at Cordova : do so at least
now, and take the girl immediately to the
Posada. — There, sister, said he, suddenly inter-
rupting himself, and turning to Dolores, look out
there for yourself a handkerchief or a chain, or
whatever you like — I have something to say to
Antonio ; " Dolores then sat down at some dis-
tance, awaiting the end of the conversation, and
observing them both with great anxiety.

" I feel as if there would be some disturbance
here," continued Esteban, speaking lower to
Antonio: " the Solano blows," and he added in

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 217

a whisper, " I know that Christoval is here. Such
affairs are not suited to you, and you are more
fit to take care of the girl than I am. Who
knows too, if Christoval will not have need of
my assistance ! "

VOL. I.

218

FAIR OF MAIRENA.

CHAPTER VI.

fair of mairena. — Continued.

The sun had gone down, without the gradual
transition of twilight ; and, as if by the stroke
of magic, the dark blue sky of the night, glim-
mering with stars, had spread itself over the
earth. The cattle had been driven away from
the place ; the noise of the fair had a little sub-
sided, and small separate groups were assem-
bled all round the square, under the scattered
clumps of trees, and in front of the neighbour-
ing houses. The enlivening clatter of the cas-
tanets, the sound of the guitar and of song,
swelled on all sides through the still air, not
unmixed occasionally with more hostile sounds
— curses of the players, and threatening words.

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 219

A crowd of young men, of the national
militia of Cordova, had assembled by degrees
before the tent of the Montanes, and made the
night resound with their patriotic, or if you
will, party songs of that time. " Long live
Riego!" — "Long live the constitution!" were
some of the modes in which they closed their
song. A few horsemen, who were smoking their
cigars in the neighbourhood, and whose eager
glances followed the wine-skin as it made its
round actively amongst the young men, cried,
joining in with them, " Long may they live !" —
" Long live the national militia !" These horse-
men were immediately invited by the merry
youths to join their party, in order to moisten
their patriotism with a draught of wine, and
they did not require to be asked twice. Soon
the mirth of this group became louder, and their
mocking melody of the " tragala /" seemed to
throw out defiance, so that the more peaceable
amongst the bystanders moved away, whilst at
the same time from without, fresh people con-

l2

220

FAIR OF MAIRENA.

tinually pressed on, as is usually the case on
such occasions, when there is any prospect of a
quarrel.

Antonio had in vain looked out for a favora-
ble moment to take his sister away ; and thus
all three brothers and sister remained in the
booth ; — Antonio uneasy and concerned about
his sister — Esteban excited, and ready for
conflict — and Dolores tolerably quiet, because
relying on the protection of her brothers.

At a short distance from that noisy group
above-mentioned, some soldiers of the provincial
militia * were sitting together in quiet conversa-

* The Provincial Militia is an old institution in Spain,
and it is saying no little in its praise, to add, that it an-
swers in many respects to the Landwehr. as it exists in
Prussia. According to the constitution of the Cortes,
these militias could not be employed out of their Provinces,
without the express consent of the Legislative Assembly.
But the insurrection in Catalonia and Arragon made it
necessary in 1822 and 23, to have recourse to such means,
and several battalions were sent thither from the western
and .southern Provinces. This, and the general interrup-
tion which their agricultural labours suffered from fre-

FAIR OF MAIREXA. 221

tion. One of the horsemen remarked them,
and cried, " Look there at those confounded
Serviles of the national militia ? Have the ras-
cals once shouted with us, " Long live Riego ?"
One of the infantry soldiers answered sturdily,
" What does Riego concern us ? without him
and your constitution, we might now remain at
home and get in our harvest, and should not be
obliged to march to Catalonia to fight against
the Russians and Turks, and I don't know what
else !"

"Let us alone," said another "you are drunk!"
The dispute was continued on both sides with
vehement language, yet no one had the inclina-
tion to commence actual hostilities. Suddenly,
however, heavy footsteps and the jingle of spurs
were heard approaching, and some horsemen of
the carbineer regiment of General Freire pressed
themselves through the assembled crowd . They

quent military training and other causes, had excited some
discontent which was carefully fostered by the intrigues of
the Serviles.

222 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

were large powerful fellows, old soldiers, whose
military bearing contrasted as much with the
many- coloured new coats of the national militia,
as their well-preserved and careful uniform did
with that of the light horsemen of the Alcantara
regiment, who, like all Spanish regiments of
the line, were in the most miserable condition.

An old quartermaster, with a sun-burnt and
bearded face, covered with scars, stepped, with-
out saying a word, up to the horseman who had
begun the dispute, and with the contemptuous
words, "Away with this trumpery !" he tore from
him a ribbon with a constitutional device and
colours, such as the so-called liberal regiments
then wore, spit upon it, and trod it con-
temptuously under foot.

So unexpected an outrage was followed by a
momentary silence ; but soon, from the side of
the Milicianos, resounded the cry of "Down
with the dogs !" " Down with the carbineers !"
" Long live Riego !" Their adversaries, on the

PAIR OF MAIRENA. 223

other hand, though much fewer in number,
showed no desire to decline the combat, but rather
courted it by insulting speeches. Already some
sabre cuts had been given; already had some
of the young men, pressing forward too boldly,
received slight wounds ; when an officer, whom
Antonio immediately recognised as the Marquis
of Penaflores, threw himself between the com-
batants, and with loud curses and reproaches,
ordered them to be quiet.

His own people went away grumbling, yet, as
it appeared, not very dissatisfied at being spared
the doubtful conflict with the formidable cuiras-
siers. The young volunteers, also, who knew
the Marquis, obeyed him the more willingly,
as he promised to take care that the guilty
should be punished ; but the carbineers shewed
not the smallest inclination to obey his orders,
and when he repeated them in the name of the
constitution, the old quartermaster cried contemp-
tuously, "To the devil with your constitution!"
Let your beard grow first, young gentleman,

224 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

and then ask again about it ; you have no right
to command us."

The young officer, animated by a fanatical
respect for Riego and the Constitution, now
rushed in furiously upon his powerful adversary,
but was suddenly held back by Mendizabal,
who had come up in the meantime. " Give
yourself no trouble, Marquis," said he, " they
are my men, and I will speak to them. Besides,
the nut might be too hard for your young teeth,
in spite of your last heroic deeds," he added
scornfully j then, turning towards the horsemen,
" Children," said he, " sheathe your swords,
and go to the Posada and saddle — we must ride
through the night."

Irritated by the personal offence which was
contained in Mendizabal's words, and still more
by the indifference with which he appeared to
treat the offence of his men, the Marquis called
to him with vehemence, " How, captain! is that
the way you treat these rascals who have in-

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 225

suited our holy constitution ? I shall bring you
to an account for your contempt, and they also
shall not escape the just punishment of their
offence."

" Just as it pleases you, my young hero," said
Mendizabal, sneering, " but you will do well to
make haste about it." With these words he
turned his back upon him and together with his
men, soon disappeared in the darkness.

The Marquis required some moments to col-
lect himself, and cried at last, looking round
^with threatening glances, " No one shall dare,
in my presence, to insult the Constitution and
the hero of Las Cabezas."

Suddenly, a deep voice from the crowd which
surrounded him, cried, " Down with the Consti-
tution ! to the seventh hell with Riego !" And,
at the same time, a man stepped forward, wrapped
up in his mantle, and his large hat pulled deep
over his face. The officer, uncertain what he
was to think of this unexpected opponent, cried,
" Who are you ? What do you want ? — In the

l 5

226 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

name of the King and Constitution deliver your-
self prisoner."

At the first word of the disguised man, Dolores
was on the point of springing to him, with the
words, "Jesus Maria! it is Christoval !" But
her brother, and the young gipsy girl, who had
joined her in the meantime, held her back.
Christoval himself, throwing hastily his hat on
the ground, and swinging back his cloak, which
he at the same time twisted round his arm, stood,
in a moment with his drawn knife in his hand,
ready for the conflict. Remarking the movement
of Dolores, he called to her, " For the love of God,
girl, keep back! Esteban, hold her back !"
Then looking round, u And you, Caballeros,
keep quiet ! I have an account to settle with
the young gentleman there. You do not know
me, sir, you say," he continued, as he turned
towards the officer, "but I know you — you are
one who has ruined me. Recollect the Venta de
Gualdiaro. You are the murderer of the brave

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 227

Pedro Gomez. His blood still sticks to your
sabre, and blood will have blood !"

With these words, Christoval pressed in upon
his adversary. The latter could not conceal
from himself the danger of his situation. All
round him, he saw, by the uncertain light of the
torches, either curious or indifferent counte-
nances, whilst single Embozados* darted gloomy
and unfriendly glances at him. He knew very
well that he was hated by the lower classes of the
people in the neighbourhood, and by the Ser-
viles, on account of the zeal with which he had

* We think ourselves authorised to make use of this
Spanish expression; because, what it denotes can only be
rendered by circumlocution, or by description. Embozarse
means to throw one end of the loose Spanish cloak over the
other shoulder, so that the face is concealed up to the eyes.
If there is a hat, with a broad brim, in addition, the Em-
bozado cannot be recognised ; on which account, people,
who, for any reason do not wish to be known, use the
Embozo. It is forbidden to pass a sentry with the
Embozo, or to retain it in churches.

228 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

distinguished himself in the pursuit of robbers,
contrabandists, and people of that description.
He hesitated then a short time, whether he
should engage in a duel with such an enemy, or
should call in the arm of the law to his assist-
ance ; but, the desire of adventure, natural
to so young a man, rose within him, and he was
ashamed, when opposed only to a single adver-
sary, to have the appearance of calling for help.
He was also not certain that it would be of any
use to him, for not one of those present seemed
to have any inclination to support his cause.
Some people, indeed, wished to interpose, but
the majority called out, " Let them alone !
let them alone \" Others said, " Now, Majo,
courage ! courage ! — show what you can do,
Caballero !" But Esteban stepped forward,
and cried, with a threatening look and voice,
" Whoever meddles in this quarrel, will have to
do with me. Let them alone to settle their
affairs, like brave fellows as they are ! Now,
take it quietly, Christoval !"

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 229

Antonio, even before Christoval came forward,
had hastened from the place to ask for a patrol,
from the post which was established before the
Parish-house, in the village, for the preservation
of order; for he saw well, that his personal
interference alone, could be of no use. But, as
it proved afterwards, he had not only missed
the way, but had found the leader of the post,
who belonged to the provincial militia, by no
means inclined to comply with his request.

Dolores, who well knew the wild character of
her brother, and, therefore, did not yenture on
any interference ; and, besides, felt little about
the whole affair, except anxiety for Christoval,
awaited the event in fearful prayer ; while
Paquita spoke courage to her, amidst the most
tender caresses. u Only be calm, my angel, only
be quite quiet, my Rose," she whispered to her,
"not a hair of Christoval will be injured. Do
not cry so, my life — believe me, for T understand
the matter. Christoval, with his knife, has
nothing to fear from the long sabre. The young

230 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

officer may say his last Ave, if he has not for-
gotten it — the impious freemason ! And, yet, it
is a pity ; for he is a smart youth."

The extraordinary combat had, in the mean-
time, begun. Not unacquainted with the fear-
ful weapon of his antagonist, and with the only
means of escaping it, the officer stood in a calm
attitude on his ground, with his right arm drawn
back, ready either to cut or thrust. He knew
he was lost, without hope of escape, if he did
not lay his antagonist low at the first stroke, and
he followed his movements, with eyes and body
in high-wrought attention. Christoval, in the
meantime, bent forward, in an almost cowering
position behind his cloak, which was stretched
out far before him on his left arm, while in his
right hand he held his long knife, the blade of
which of two fingers' breadth, diminished gra-
dually to a fine point, and was hollowed out
below for the convenience of thrusting. In this
attitude he slid round his adversary, in circles
gradually smaller, watching, with glowing eyes,

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 231

his every motion. It was evident, that the latter
was gradually losing his patience, while his
fiery courage excited him to make a speedy end
of the affair.

" He is lost !" quietly remarked an old bull-
fighter, who stood amongst the crowd, and ob-
served the fight with the eye of a connoisseur.

The cloak now seemed to slip fromChristoval's
left arm, and whilst he endeavoured to gather it
up again, he exposed himself, in some degree, to
his adversary, who, thinking the right moment
had arrived, rushed forward, and aimed a power-
ful blow at his adversary's head ; but sank, at
the same moment to the ground, with a faint
cry. The apparent slipping off of the cloak was
only a feint of Christoval's, by which he might
mislead his adversary into some imprudent
movement. Receiving the blow on his cloak,
he sprang forward, at the same moment,
with the quickness of lightning on his adver-
sary, like the tiger on his prey, and thrust
the knife from below, under the ribs, into his

232 PAIR OF MAIRENA.

left side ; and such was the force of the blow,
together with that of the spring, that he tore the
unhappy man's body open, completely across, so
that the trunk only hung to the under-body by
the bones of the spine, while the numerous layers
of his thick woollen cloak had defended Chris-
toval from every injury.

"God be merciful to his poor soul!" said he,
with an agitation which he with difficulty sup-
pressed, while the persons around, keeping
silence for a moment, gazed on the terrific
wound.

" Well struck, Christoval !" cried Esteban at
last, giving his hand to his cousin j " but now,
away ! I hear the Round. My horse is standing
yonder; give Dolores a kiss, and away!"

" With my bloody hand ?" said Christoval.
" Never ! the poor dear child !" And addressing
to Dolores, who had witnessed his victory with
horror, a painful farewell, he flung himself on
Esteban's horse, which was tied up near the
booth, and forcing him with a bold leap over the

FAIR OF MAIRENA. 233

Cactus hedge, in a few minutes the gallop of
the horse died away in the distance. At the
same time, the rattling of arms, and quick steps
were heard to approach.

The spectators of the deadly game escaped
quickly in the darkness, and immediately after-
wards Antonio appeared on the Place, at the
head of some soldiers. Esteban, who was
occupied about his half-lifeless sister, only -staid
to call to him — "Take care of our sister, till
we meet!" and then pushing aside some sol-
diers, who appeared to intend detaining him, he
disappeared amongst the crowd of people, which
the report of what had happened had drawn to
the spot.

The soldiers lifted up with difficulty the
fearfully mutilated body, in order to bring it to
the guard-house. Antonio, forgetting every
thing else, hastened to his sister, who had some-
what recovered herself in Paquita's anns.
" Christoval is concealed," said she, " and there
comes your brother, Antonio — I must away."

234 FAIR OF MAIRENA.

She added in a low voice, "There stands ray
father calling me, but you shall have news
of Christoval — rely on me."

Dolores gratefully pressed the hand of her
consoler upon her lips, and followed her brother,
who conducted her to the Posada, where an
elderly female relative, who had accompanied
her to Mairena, was waiting for her.

The gay proceedings oil the Place were only
interrupted for a short time by this event, and
the night was enlivened by sounds of music and
the dance, till the break of morning:.

RETURN TO CORDOVA. 235

CHAPTER VII.

THE RETURN TO CORDOVA.

Antonio's business with the spiritual authori-
ties of Cordova obliged him to return to that
city for some days ; and as he did not like to
send his sister home without a safe escort, and
Esteban had not yet been heard of, it was de-
cided that Dolores, with her relation, should
accompany him to Cordova, from whence he
would himself take her home to Benamexi.

They reached Cordova without any further
interruption, and found a hospitable reception
in the house of a friend of the family.

Antonio was astonished at the extraordinary

236 RETURN TO CORDOVA.

composure with which after a few days, Dolores
considered the fearful event she had witnessed,
and it cost him no little trouble, to explain this
phenomenon to himself psychologically, and to
understand his sister's feelings. What struck
him most in it was, not alone the ease with
which the child supported the physical and
mental impression, which such a circumstance
was calculated to make on her, but still more
the opinion she seemed to entertain of it, in a
moral point of view. He had judged his sister
according to the influence which a similar
event would have had on the females whom he
had had opportunities of observing during an
exile of ten years in foreign countries. He
had not only expected a violent shock of her
nervous system and her health, but also a total
change in her feelings towards a man whom she
must now detest as a murderer, and who could
only inspire her with horror, after she had been
witness to a dreadful homicide committed by
him. Antonio, indeed, desired that result, as

RETURN TO CORDOVA. 237

he could not possibly approve of his sister's
connexion with such a person ; but he also
feared the consequences of the conflict between
the remains of a defeated passion, and the
moral conviction of the unworthiness of its
object. He considered it, therefore, his duty
to make this struggle as light as possible to
her, inasmuch, as he intended, as might be
supposed, to put himself on the side of her
moral conviction. But he soon found, to his
great astonishment, that his consolation and
his advice were not at all needed, and, more-
over, that he had been wholly mistaken in ex-
pecting from her the feelings and ideas of a
more refined civilization. Dolores, indeed, had
not been educated in the house of her parents,
but in a convent in Granada, through which
her nature had received a milder, quieter, and
more retired character, than was to be expected
from a girl of her class. Nevertheless, she
had lived long enough with her family to share
their views and ideas, on connections and ac-

238 RETURN TO CORDOVA.

tions such as those of her cousin Christoval,
without accounting to herself very exactly for
them ; and as to the shock of the physical im-
pression which such a spectacle was likely to
create in females of another country, Antonio
forgot that Dolores, like all her countrywomen,
was accustomed to see with delight, at bull
fights, the dangers, the victory, the defeat, the
blood and the wounds, which the struggle of
cool courage and bold address against the wild
ungovernable rage of the formidable animal,
generally exhibits.

During the first few days, after the above
occurrence, Antonio was prevented by pressing
business and other circumstances, from speak-
ing to his sister, except for a few moments at a
time ; but he remarked thus much, that it
was only anxiety for Christoval's personal
safety, which frightened the accustomed chil-
dish joyfulness from her lovely features, and
made her silent and thoughtful. But if An-
tonio, who was besides anxious about his bro-

RETURN TO CORDOVA. 239

ther, who had given no tidings of himself,
spoke with her on this point, a few minutes
were sufficient to turn her into the consoler,
and she then was angry with her brother, be-
cause he could believe that Christoval or Este-
ban would allow themselves to be taken so
easily.

In the mean time, she went more constantly
than ever to prayers and mass ; and after some
days, she asked her brother one morning to
accompany her to church ; as he prepared
to fulfil her request, he said, smiling, "but
you are too devout, Dolorcitas; you will be-
come at last quite a little nun."

" No — not quite ;" replied she, " what
would Christoval say ?" She paused and
blushed ; but immediately continued, " No,
but I have vowed to pray two hundred Ave
Marias, and two hundred Paternosters for the
soul of the poor young officer, before the cross
of the prisoner. Ah ! brother, I should so like
to have a few masses read for his soul, and I

240 RETURN TO CORDOVA.

imagine he must want them sadly, for he was one
of those wicked liberals who believe in nothing."

Dolores had become quite angry as she
used this last expression ; but appearing sud-
denly to recollect that her brother also was a
liberal, she kissed his hand in great confusion.
" You are quite right, Dolores," he said, smiling,
" you must certainly have masses read for the
poor marquis."

The girl looked at him distrustfully, and said,
"Yes — but I have got no money. I'll tell you
what, brother ; go with me to the goldsmith's,
and we will sell my little gold chain ; and then
we can order the masses directly. — It is true,"
she added, sorrowfully, as she took the chain
from her neck, " that Christoval himself gave it
me ; but it is his fault."

Antonio assured his sister she might keep
the chain, for he would pay for the masses, and
she then sprang on joyfully before him, till they
reached the cathedral, and were in the forest of
its pillars.

RETURN TO CORDOVA. 241

In one of the columns of dark green jasper,
a rudely shapen cross is indented, which is
called the Cruz del Cautivo, and it stands high
in the veneration of the Cordovese. A captive
christian, says the legend, was bound to this
pillar, and was forced to witness the abomina-
tions of the Mussulmen, and their mockery of his
holy faith. He scratched, however, with his
finger-nails, this cross in the hard stone, thus
taking possession as it were, of the temple of
the false prophet, in the name of the Holy Re-
deemer. When the cross was completed, the
prisoner was condemned to the death of a
martyr ; but a few days after the king, St. Fer-
dinand, conquered the city, and consecrated
the mosque of the unbelievers as the cathedral
of the new bishopric of Cordova.

Dolores was kneeling devoutly before this
cross, in order to discharge a part of the holy
debt which she had taken upon her, for the soul
of the murdered man, when suddenly, a well-
known voice, whispered in her ear, " Christoval

VOL. I. M

242 RETURN TO CORDOVA.

salutes you, Seiiorita; he is as healthy as a
fish, and as free as an eagle."

Dolores sprang up, and had just time to re-
cognise the young gipsy girl, who was hasten-
ing away, and turning as she departed, with
her mantilla thrown back, saluted her friend
with many lively signals from her fan. She ran
out directly to look for her brother, who re-
marking her countenance beaming with joy,
went to meet her. "Well sister, what is the
news now? — you look as joyful as an Easter
morning." "Christoval !" — answered Dolores
— but she could for the moment speak no more,
for sheer joy. — "Did I not tell you, Antonio,"
added she, proudly , " that Christoval would
not allow himself to be taken by the Milicianos
and soldiers ? he sends his greetings to me, and
is free."

" But Dolores," answered Antonio, "can you
then really still love this man after the crime he
has committed, to which you yourself were a
witness ?"

RETURN TO CORDOVA. 243

Dolores looked at her brother with a surprised
and inquiring air, and he continued, not with-
out some embarrassment, as to the way in which
he should treat such perverseness, "Consider,
Dolores, that Christoval is a robber, a murderer,
an impious man."

" Christoval impious !" cried Dolores, almost
angrily : " ah Antonio, if you knew how good
and pious he is ! — before the Milicianos took
away his goods and ruined him, and wanted
to shut him up according to their law, he
never injured any one. It was always he
who re-established peace, when the wild Este-
ban had begun a quarrel, exactly as you did
formerly, Antonio. Ah ! if you were only as
pious as he is !" she added timidly, — "only ask
old father Hilario at home, who always said it
was a sad pity that he had not been made a
clergyman — Hilario taught him to read and
write."

"But Dolores," said Antonio gravely, "did not
the Pater teach him that our Lord says, ' Thou
shalt not kill' ?"

244 RETURN TO CORDOVA.

Weeping, but eagerly, and without being in
the least convinced, Dolores answered, " But
Christoval could not do otherwise ; he must
certainly revenge himself and his friend, for he
had known Pedro Gomez a long time, and
Pedro once saved his life, when the French
were going to shoot him because he would not
be their guide."

"But Dolores, it is, as you know, a deadly
sin — be reasonable, girl/' said Antonio, im-
patient, that his sister could not comprehend
such simple things.

" Ah, brother, I know that very well," she
now said, having collected herself in the mean
time, and only anxious to end the conversation,
in order to be able to rejoice undisturbed over
the news she had received of Christoval, — "that
I well know, and Christoval knows it too, but
Christoval is really pious, and our holy mother
the church will certainly forgive him — only ask
Father Hilario. I, indeed, am only a poor sim-
ple girl — but it will certainly be as I say."

RETURN TO CORDOVA. 245

"But Christoval," persisted Antonio, "has
broken the law ; he is a criminal, and must come
under the punishment of the law." Antonio did
not think it right to derange the religious belief
of his sister, and was afraid of losing her confi-
dence; yet he found, to his grief, that the
wilful girl was quite tranquil also on this side of
the question, and was not to be convinced.
" Punishment !" she answered laughing, "they
must first catch him ! how can Christoval help it
if the law forbid him to kill his enemy ? You
are indeed extraordinary, Antonio," she con-
tinued, now become impatient in her turn, " he
did not assassinate the young officer, although
I was very much frightened — it was childish
of me to be so, and Christoval is certainly
angry with me — but I saw it very well."

" Girl, you are gone mad," cried Antonio,
" You know that Christoval is a robber."

"Well, but surely that is a lucky thing," re-
plied Dolores, again laughing, " or otherwise
Pedro would certainly have shot you.— But

246 RETURN TO CORDOVA.

brother," she continued, when she saw that
Antonio was going to protest against this argu-
mentum ad hominem, " how can I help what
Christoval does ? I am only a simple girl, and
he must know best what he ought to do : he
would laugh at me well if I were to talk to
him about it, and I am only glad Esteban has
not heard all you have been saying."

They had in the meantime reached the house,
and were both glad, although for different rea-
sons, to put an end to the conversation. On
the landing place (Zaguan,) Rojas came for-
ward to meet them, still somewhat pale, and
leaning on a stick, but as merry as ever. His
slight wound was healed, and he had left
Carmona to go to Granada, through Cordova ;
but when he heard that Antonio and his sister
intended to remain some days longer in Cordova,
it suddenly occurred to him, that he also had
important business in that city, and he ac-
cepted very eagerly the invitation of the mis-
tress of the house, who appeared pleased with

RETURN TO CORDOVA. 247

him, and who offered him according to Spanish
custom, her house during the time of his sojourn
there. This offer, in truth, must not be taken
literally, any more than similar forms of polite-
ness in other countries ; but it gives the right
to the stranger to go every evening to the
Tertulla if he likes it, and expects to find an
object there which attracts him. This was now
incontestably the case with Rojas; and in a
certain sense he told the truth, when he said
that important business kept him in Cordova.
Dolores' arch laugh, too, proved that she un-
derstood this very well ; and, relieved from her
anxiety about Christoval, she met the jokes
and flatteries of the young man with unre-
strained good humour.

249

ROMANCE MUY DOLOROSO DEL SITIO Y
TOMA DE ALHAMA.*

*.

El qual dczia en Arabigo assi.

Passeavase el Rey Moro
Por la ciudad de Granada,
Desde las puertas de Elvira
Hasta las de Bivarambla.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Cartas le fueron venidas
Que Alhama era ganada.
Las cartas echo en el fuego,

Y al mensagero matava.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Descavalga de una mula,

Y en un cavallo cavalga.
Por el Zacatin arriba
Subido se avia al Alhambra.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Como en el Alhambra estuvo,
Al mismo punto mandava
Que se toquen las trompetas
Con anafiles de plata.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Y que atambores de guerra
Apriessa toquen alarma ;
Por que lo oygan sus Moros,
Los de la Vega y Granada.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

* The effect of the original ballad — which existed both
in Spanish and Arabic — was such that it was forbidden to
be sung by the Moors on pain of death, within Granada.

VOL.1. N

250 APPENDIX.

Los Moros que el son oyeron,
Que al sangriento Marte llama,
Uno a uno, y dos a dos,
Un gran esquadron, formavan.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Alii hablo un Moro viejo ;
Desta manera bablava :
Para que nos llamas rey ?
Para que es esta Uamada ?

Av de mi, Alhama !

Aveys de saber, amigos,
Una nueva desdichada ;
Que Christianos, con braveza,
Ya nos ban tornado Alhama.

Ay de mi, Alhama

Alii hablo un viejo Alfaqui,
De barba crecida y cana :
Bien se te emplea, buen rey,
Buen rey ; bien se te empleava,

Ay de mi, Alhama!

Mataste los Bencerrages,
Que era la flor de Granada :
Cogiste los tornadizos
De Cordova la nombruda.

Ay de mi, Alhama!

Por esso mereces, rey,
Una pena bien doblada ;
Que te pierdas tu y el reyno,
Y que se pierda Granada.

Ay de mi, Alhama!

APPENDIX. 251

Si no se respetan leyes,
Es ley que todo se pierda ;

Y que se pierda Granada,

Y que te pierdas en ella.

Ay de mi, Albania !

Fuego por los ojos vierte,
El rey que esto oyera.

Y como el otro de leyes
De leyes tambien hablava.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Sabe un rey que no ay leyes
De darle a reyes disgusto
Esso dize el Rey Moro
Relinchando de colera.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Moro Alfaqui, Moro Alfaqui,
El de la vellida barba,
El rey te manda prender,
Por la perdida de Alhama !

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Y cortarte la cabeza,

Y ponerla en el Alhambra,
Por que a ti castigo sea

Y otros tiemblen en miralla

Ay de mi, Alhama!

Cavalleros, hombres buenos,
Dezid de mi parte al rey,
AI rey Moro de Granada,
Como no le devo nada.

Ay de mi, Alhama !
n2

252 APPENDIX.

De averse Alhama perdido
A mi me pesa en el alma.
Que si el rey perdid sa tierra,
Otro mucho mas perdiera.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Perdieran hijos padres,

Y casados las casadas ;
Las cosas que mas amara
Perdio l'un y el otro fama.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Perdi una hija donzella
Que era la flor d'esta tierra,
Cien doblas dava por ella
No me las estimo en nada.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Diziendo assi al hacen Alfaqui,
Le cortaron la cabeca,

Y la elevan al Alhambra,
Assi como el rey lo manda.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Hombres, minos y mugeres,
Lloran tan grande perdida,
Lloravan todas las damas
Quantas en Granada avia.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

Por las calles y ventanas
Mucho luto parecia ;
Llora el rey como fembra
Qu'es mucho lo que perdia.

Ay de mi, Alhama !

253

A VERY MOURNFUL BALLAD ON THE
SIEGE AND CONQUEST OF ALHAMA.

Which in the Arabic language is to the following purport.

The Moorish king rides up and down
Through Granada's royal town ;
From Elvira's gates to those
Of Bivarambla on he goes.

Woe is me, Alhama !

Letters to the monarch tell
How Alhama's city fell :
In the fire the scroll he threw,
And the messenger he slew.

Woe is me, Alhama I

He quits his mule and mounts his horse,
And through the street directs his course ;
Through the street of Zacatin
To the Alhambra spurring in.

Woe is me, Alhama !

When the Alhambra walls he gain'd
On the moment he ordain'd
That the trumpet straight should sound
With the silver clarion round.

Woe is me, Alhama !

And when the hollow drums of war
Beat the loud alarm afar,
That the Moors of town and plain
Might answer to the martial strain ;

Woe is me, Alhama !

254 APPENDIX.

Then the Moors, by this aware
That bloody Mars recall'd them there,
One by one, and two by two,
To a mighty squadron grew.

Woe is me, Alhama !

Out then spake an aged Moor
In these words the king before :
" Wherefore call on us, O king ?
What may mean this gathering ?"

Woe is me, Alhama !

" Friends ! ye have, alas ! to know
Of a most disastrous blow,
That the Christians stern and bold,
Have attain'd Albania's hold."

Woe is me, Alhama !

Out then spake old Alfaqui,
With his beard so white to see,
" Good king ! thou art justly served.
Good king ! this thou hast deserved.

Woe is me, Alhama !

" By thee were slain in evil hour,
The Abencerrage, Granada's flower ;
And strangers were received by thee
Of Cordova the chivalry.

Woe is me, Alhama !

" And for this, O king ! is sent
On thee a double chastisement ;
Thee and thine, thy crown and realm,
One last wreck shall overwhelm.

Woe is me, Alhama !

APPENDIX. 255

" He who holds no laws in awe,
He must perish by the law ;
And Granada must be won,
And thyself with her undone."

Woe is me, Alhama !

Fire flash'd from out the old Moor's eyes,
The monarch's wrath began to rise,
Because he answer'd, and because
He spake exceeding well of laws.

Woe is me, Alhama !

" There is no law to say such things
As may disgust the ear of kings :"
Thus, snorting with his choler, said
The Moorish king, and doom'd him dead.

Woe is me, Alhama !

Moor Alfaqui ! Moor Alfaqui !
Though thy beard so hoary be,
The king hath sent to have theeseized,
For Albania's loss displeased.

Woe is me, Alhama !

And to fix thy head upon
High Alhambra's loftiest stone ;
That this for thee should be the law,
And others tremble when they saw.

Woe is me, Alhama !

" Cavalier and man of worth !
Let these words of mine, go forth *,
Let the Moorish monarch know,
That to him I nothing owe.

Woe is me, Alhama !

256 APPENDIX.

" But on my soul Alhama weighs,
And on my inmost spirit preys ;
And if the king this land hath lost,
Yet others may have lost the most.

Woe is me, Alhama !

" Sires have lost their children, wives
Their lords, and valiant men their lives ;
One what best his love might claim
Hath lost, another wealth, or fame.

Woe is me, Alhama !

" I lost a damsel in that hour,
Of all the land the loveliest flower ;
Doubloons a hundred I would pay,
And think her ransom cheap that day."

Woe is me, Alhama!

And as these things the old Moor said,
They sever'd from the trunk his head ;
And to the Alhambra's wall with speed
'Twas carried, as the king decreed.

Woe is me, Alhama !

And men and infants therein weep
Their loss, so heavy and so deep :
Granada's ladies, all she rears
Within her walls, burst into tears.

Woe is me, Alhama !

And from the windows o'er the walls
The sable web of mourning falls ;
The king weeps as a woman o'er
His loss, for it is much and sore.

Woe is me, Alhama !

257

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